When the Navy Said “No” I Hit the Gas

December 14, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

What Happens When Confidence Outruns Judgement?

Often the Road to Purpose Runs Straight Through Disappointment

I was roaring down the Strand toward Imperial Beach at 120 miles an hour on my Harley—shorts, T-shirt, Teva sandals. Not exactly safety gear. I wasn’t thinking about safety.

I wasn’t thinking about anything except the blaze of anger that comes when your dream collapses in a single phone call.

The aircraft carrier command selection board—my board—had met. And I didn’t get selected.

I had spent a decade training for this moment. Nuclear power school. XO tour. Command at sea. Endless qualifications. The sacrifices my family made so I could chase the dream. Kelly, the kids, the moves, the deployments… and now?

Nothing.

The moment Vice Admiral Zortman – my Boss at the time and the President of the selection board – told me, I felt something inside drop through the floor. I walked out of the office numb.

Broke the news to Kelly. We both cried. The kind of cry that comes from the gut—grief, disbelief, frustration. Twenty-five years without a major career failure… until now.

I told her, “I’m going for a ride.”

I tore through Coronado like a man on the edge. The speed limit felt like an insult. When I hit the open stretch of the Strand, I rolled the throttle hard. The engine roared. The wind ripped tears off my face. I didn’t care if I crashed. That’s how angry I was.

After the ride, I could not sit still. I walked the seven-mile perimeter of Coronado—fast, furious, muttering to myself the whole way. Blisters, sunburn, fury, confusion. If you’ve ever been so mad you couldn’t think straight, you understand exactly what was happening.

You never do your best thinking when you’re triggered. Lesson there.

But something interesting happened in the months that followed. With the shock and anger slowly losing their grip, Kelly and I began talking honestly about the future:

“Okay… what if we never get carrier command? What else could life look like?”

We started imagining new paths: assignments that were fun, places we wanted to live, adventures outside the grind of the career ladder.

And the craziest thing happened: Blue sky returned.

We were… hopeful again. Happy, even. Not because circumstances changed. But because our perspective did.

Then—one year later—my name went before the board again.

This time, I was selected.

And here’s the kicker: The carrier I would have gotten the year prior was stuck in the shipyard. But because of the delay, the Navy assigned me to USS Nimitz, fully operational and ready to deploy. The timing could not have been better. It was almost as if Someone had scheduled it that way.

Looking back, I can say with clarity: What felt like failure was providence.

When life punches you in the gut:

Let yourself feel it — anger, disappointment, grief.
Don’t make decisions in that emotional storm.
Look for the open doors you couldn’t see before.
Trust that setbacks often set you up for something better.
Choose gratitude. It changes the entire emotional landscape.

You’re not always being denied. Sometimes you’re being redirected.

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P.S.

If this message stirred something in you—share it. Forward it to a friend, colleague, or your leadership team. Better yet—let’s talk.

Let’s raise up a generation of leaders who know how to Lead to Win.

Mike Manazir
Bestselling Author | Navy Admiral | Fighter Pilot | Leadership Coach

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