I want to share a true story with you today.
Not because it’s perfect, but because it isn’t.
It’s a story about how sometimes life hands you something fake, and if you don’t give up, it can end up giving you something far better.
I grew up in a small town in Mexico.
The kind of place where you never leave without saying goodbye to your grandmother.
A hug.
A blessing.
And at least three reminders to “take care of yourself.”
That day, my brothers and I were heading to Mexico City.
We were celebrating one of my brothers’ birthdays.
And we had tickets to the UFC Mexico, something he wanted to do with us, his siblings.
A dream for him.
We had bought the tickets months earlier from Chicago.
Everything seemed ready.
We arrived at the arena.
The energy was electric.
We handed over our printed tickets.
The guard scanned them.
Nothing.
He scanned them again.
Nothing.
Then he said the words no one wants to hear:
“These tickets are fake.”
Fake.
The ground dropped beneath us.
So much effort. We literally flew from Chicago to Mexico for this.
So much excitement.
Gone in a moment.
My brother looked at me and said:
“Let’s just go. There’s nothing we can do.”
And honestly, most people would have left.
Something in me refused to let the story end there.
I found the contact number from the email and called.
A woman answered with a calm, kind voice.
I explained everything: the trip, the tickets, and standing outside the arena.
She asked for proof.
Photos.
Receipts.
While people were walking in to enjoy the event, I was standing outside refreshing my inbox.
Then she gave us two options:
- A refund
- Replacement tickets
I looked at my brother and said:
“We didn’t come all this way for a refund.”
We chose the replacement tickets.
We exited.
Re-entered.
More lines.
More security checks.
Until finally, the tickets scanned.
They worked.
And as we walked to our seats, the staff kept saying:
“Down the steps…lower…keep going.”
That’s when we realized it.
Our original tickets were for the upper seats.
But the tickets we fought for
were next to the ring.
Three lessons I’ll never forget
- Disappointments are often disguised detours.
What feels like rejection may actually be redirection. - Your breakthrough is usually one step past the moment you want to quit.
One more call. One more try. - People matter more than you think.
Someone’s empathy can change everything.
For you, today
Let me ask you something:
What’s your “fake ticket” right now?
A dream? A relationship? A door that feels closed?
Maybe it’s not the end.
Maybe it’s preparation.
Because sometimes, the best seats in life are on the other side of not giving up.
Thanks for reading.
If this resonated with you, hold onto it and remember: sometimes it only takes one more try. Also share it with those that may need to hear this today.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Dr. Luis San Roman, LCPC
Founder and Executive Director of Mosaic Wholeness Center