Winning
"In reading the lines of great men, I found the first victory they won was over themselves." - Harry S Truman
The first is losing and not caring that you lost.
And the second is losing at something that you didn't really want to win in the first place. All too often the two are related.
To win you must first be chasing someone that you want to achieve. To do otherwise is an exercise in futility. One of the biggest time wasters in society today is people trying to do very well at something that either doesn't need to be done or something that they would rather not do.
The opportunity to win at something important to oneself carries with it enormous benefits. The effect of having your self esteem raised through a good performance and a victory is something every human being should experience. I feel sorry for people who get on radio programs and win a free CD only to top it off with the comment that, "I've never won anything in my life."
"To win you must first pursue."
You will more than likely lose in the beginning. It is through loss that we learn. It's develops our character. But it does this if only we learn the lessons from the loss. The chance of winning is diminished each time we fail to take the sour taste of defeat and turn it into the sweet taste of improvement.
I remember being on the pro tennis circuit where we would all hustle around the draw for the first day of play and watch as those around me found themselves up against a No.1 or No.2 seed. They would instantly begin complaining about how they never get a chance to go through to the quarter finals or semi's. They failed to see the opportunity that was presented before them.
We don't improve without being stretched by someone better than us.
It's when you get that smell of victory and blow it that you finally resolve to never let that happen again. Needless to say that those complaining about their draw never went on to beat any one of significance. Their own doubt and fear of loss became their nemesis. It was Charles Spurgeon who said, "We carry our own worst enemy within us".
I believe that it is more important than ever to teach our children the importance of competition and winning. As parents and teachers of those younger than us we must first develop our own philosophy regarding winning. Victory carries with it the opportunity to become more than we were before our victory. It is about personal growth and self-mastery.
The lessons it teaches us we carry with us for the rest of our lives. The bitter pains of defeat along the road to fulfilling some of my dreams as a tennis player have shaped my character in such a way that I can never replace those experiences. It teaches us to keep our feet on the ground no matter how tall we grow or how high we rise. We also learn that no matter how much of a lead we get, our opponent can come from behind and snatch victory from our grasp if we don't stay focused.
You and I live in a very competitive world these days. To strengthen your competitive edge, take up a sport that will drive you to be the best you can be. Choose a life partner that will contribute to your long term health.
Most importantly, base your career on something that you really want to do. Make sure it is something that will test your abilities to deal with winning and losing. Ask yourself what sort of attitudes you have toward winning and losing. You will find it is these attitudes that will carry you through the hardships of life. You can win any game you play if you remain persistent and let your losses teach you, not hurt you.
Like the surfer who tests his ability on the biggest waves, we each must go up against the best to find out what we are really capable of achieving.
"Winners must have two things - definite goals and a burning desire to achieve them."
Winning would feel empty if there were no challenges along the way. The greatest wins always follow a loss of some sort - much like the summer sun that shines after the darkest winters.
