There are seasons when outcomes are uncertain, but intent still feels clear.
This verse returned to me during one of those times.
“nehābhikrama-nāśho ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate
svalpam apyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt” – Bhagavad Gītā 2.40
“In this path no effort is ever lost, nor is any harm ever done.
Even a little practice of this dharma protects one from great fear.”
(Translation: Gita Press, Gorakhpur)
It speaks to something simple but often forgotten, that when our actions are aligned with purpose, the effort is never wasted.
So much of our world is oriented around external outcomes, the visible, the scalable, the defensible.
Yet purpose often lives in the quiet decisions:
Backing a founder not because they check every box, but because their “why” aligns with yours
continuing to build even when traction plateaus, because you’re still solving a problem that matters
Walking away from a deal or opportunity that’s not true to your thesis
What this verse reminds me is that effort rooted in dharma, in aligned, honest intent, is never lost. Even when the external result doesn’t follow, something internal solidifies: clarity, conviction, sometimes even grace.
We rarely give ourselves credit for the work that doesn’t show.
But maybe that’s where the real compounding begins.
Because sometimes, staying aligned is the win.
