It Ain't Over Till It's Over: This Is Not Your Rock Bottom Moment No matter how devastating it feels like in the moment, and regardless of all the odds that seem to be stacked against you, none of it signifies that it's curtains for whatever you set out to do.

By Aby Sam Thomas Edited by Aby Sam Thomas

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock.com

Ever felt like you've reached a dead end?

Perhaps in your life, or maybe in your entrepreneurial dreams. Maybe it's because you have encountered what appears to be an insurmountable obstacle on the road to achieving your goals. Or perhaps it's because the powers that be have thrown a spanner into the works, and essentially put a halt to everything that you had going on. (Thanks for nothing, COVID-19.)

No matter what the reason may be, such situations can make us feel like we've succumbed to failure despite all of our best efforts and contingencies, and that we've reached the end of the road for our ambition.

But if you do find yourself in such a situation, at that seeming rock bottom of despair and darkness, hold on for a moment, and turn your attention to what Dubai-based serial entrepreneur Samer Hamadeh told me during an interview for this month's issue of Entrepreneur Middle East.

"Nothing is the end of the world, ever," Hamadeh said. "Even when it feels like it, it absolutely is not." I remember looking at Hamadeh quite quizzically when he said this- that doesn't make sense, I thought to myself then.

But after pondering on his words for a moment or two, I realized that Hamadeh had actually made a deeply profound point that all of us need to remember, especially when we feel like, well, it's the end of the world.

"Whatever wall you find yourself hitting, or whatever dire situation you think you're in, you might think that it's the worst thing ever," Hamadeh went on. "But know that it is not the worst thing ever."

Because, according to Hamadeh, if whatever stalemate you found yourself in was actually "the end of the world," well, then you wouldn't really be here worrying about it. And therefore, if you're still here, your story simply cannot be over.

Maybe you just need to look for a different way to go about it. Or perhaps it's a matter of just rejigging and rehashing the dreams you had for yourself in the first place.

But no matter how devastating it feels like in the moment, and regardless of all the odds that seem to be stacked against you, none of it signifies that it's curtains for whatever you set out to do.

On the contrary, it may just be heralding the start of something new.

Related: In Good Taste: Talking Shop With 10 Of The UAE's Most Promising Homegrown Food Brands

Aby Sam Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East

Aby Sam Thomas is the former Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East. Having started working on the brand in November 2014, Aby was responsible for leading the publication on its editorial front until September 2024.

In his nearly-decade-long tenure at Entrepreneur Middle East, Aby played a key role in its growth and development across the MENA region, with him developing and executing events, programs, and other initiatives under the brand's banner, while also personally representing it through his appearances in conferences, media, etc.

Aby has been working in journalism since 2011, prior to which he was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London, and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.  

Growing a Business

How Building Tech With No Tech Background Taught Me the Most Valuable Skill in Business

The most valuable skill in business today is translation — the power to bridge vision and execution, clarity and complexity, strategy and reality.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

AI Could Cause 99% of All Workers to Be Unemployed in the Next Five Years, Says Computer Science Professor

Professor Roman Yampolskiy predicted that artificial general intelligence would be developed and used by 2030, leading to mass automation.

Leadership

The Difference Between Entrepreneurs Who Survive Crises and Those Who Don't

In a business world accelerated by AI, visibility alone is fragile. Here's how strategic silence and consistency can turn reputation into your most powerful asset.

Leadership

7 Steps to De-Risking Big Business Decisions Before They Backfire

When the stakes are high, these seven steps can help you avoid costly mistakes, eliminate bias and make smarter decisions that actually scale.