Inspired by my son…
Winning and Losing. It is something we all experience; something we all have to do. In sports, games, business and government, one team wins and one team loses. There are varying degrees of winning and losing, which becomes more complicated by what’s at stake. A prize, a medal, cash, pride, etc.
These competitions where we win and lose, go on everyday, every minute, throughout the world, everywhere you can imagine. It happens on the on the ball field, with video games, during board games, in the classroom, in the boardroom and on the battlefield. It happens with families, friends and foes. It happens in our country, in third world countries, in all cities and communities across the globe. It is never ending.
What do those of us who hate to lose so bad...or love to win so much, that it is way more rewarding or devastating to us than other people? We know who we are. We know that we are more driven than other people. What is it that is in us, unlike the majority of other people, that we are so driven? Driven to succeed in sports, driven to succeed in business, driven to succeed in life.
This simple, everyday thing we call competition is so elementary to everyday life, and so complex and important to some of us, it takes us on constant roller coaster rides that test our success and coaxes our senses. This thing we call competition, where someone wins and someone loses, is not always fair. For those of us that thrive on it, we have to cope with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. This competition thing drives us to higher highs that others will never know this ecstasy of winning. They will also never understand our agony of defeat the way that we do. They can only sit on the sidelines and pretend to understand, but they never will.
Those of us who know this will just continue on with the roller coaster ride and try to manage it as much as possible. When the time comes for us to get back on the competitive track, we will always strap ourselves in and go on the ride; Yes, just for the competitive thrill of it, because we are driven. Vince Lombardi once said, “If you can’t accept losing, you can’t win.” How true this is, and by the same token it does not mean that you have to like losing. He also said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” We all get knocked down at some point in time, and we understand that we will get back up and be stronger the next time.
The difference between the others and us is that we win more than the people who just go through the motions. The majority of you just expect to exist, not really trying, or having to win (or not lose). Although we do lose sometimes and it can be very hard on us, we always bounce back, always ready for the next competition, ready to compete and win. We do not give up; we are persistent. This is what makes us who we are. We are the people who go on to do great things in our lives, while the rest of you just exist.
We are the people who cure cancer. We are the people who develop new technologies for mankind. We are the people who solve the hard issues in business, government and life, which others do not even want to think about.
So, we will keep beating the majority of you that are just not driven like us. To those people like us and to those things that challenge us everyday, we will tip our cap to you when you do beat us. We will be ready for you when we meet again.
Winning and Losing. It is something we all experience; something we all have to do. In sports, games, business and government, one team wins and one team loses. There are varying degrees of winning and losing, which becomes more complicated by what’s at stake. A prize, a medal, cash, pride, etc.
These competitions where we win and lose, go on everyday, every minute, throughout the world, everywhere you can imagine. It happens on the on the ball field, with video games, during board games, in the classroom, in the boardroom and on the battlefield. It happens with families, friends and foes. It happens in our country, in third world countries, in all cities and communities across the globe. It is never ending.
What do those of us who hate to lose so bad...or love to win so much, that it is way more rewarding or devastating to us than other people? We know who we are. We know that we are more driven than other people. What is it that is in us, unlike the majority of other people, that we are so driven? Driven to succeed in sports, driven to succeed in business, driven to succeed in life.
This simple, everyday thing we call competition is so elementary to everyday life, and so complex and important to some of us, it takes us on constant roller coaster rides that test our success and coaxes our senses. This thing we call competition, where someone wins and someone loses, is not always fair. For those of us that thrive on it, we have to cope with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. This competition thing drives us to higher highs that others will never know this ecstasy of winning. They will also never understand our agony of defeat the way that we do. They can only sit on the sidelines and pretend to understand, but they never will.
Those of us who know this will just continue on with the roller coaster ride and try to manage it as much as possible. When the time comes for us to get back on the competitive track, we will always strap ourselves in and go on the ride; Yes, just for the competitive thrill of it, because we are driven. Vince Lombardi once said, “If you can’t accept losing, you can’t win.” How true this is, and by the same token it does not mean that you have to like losing. He also said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” We all get knocked down at some point in time, and we understand that we will get back up and be stronger the next time.
The difference between the others and us is that we win more than the people who just go through the motions. The majority of you just expect to exist, not really trying, or having to win (or not lose). Although we do lose sometimes and it can be very hard on us, we always bounce back, always ready for the next competition, ready to compete and win. We do not give up; we are persistent. This is what makes us who we are. We are the people who go on to do great things in our lives, while the rest of you just exist.
We are the people who cure cancer. We are the people who develop new technologies for mankind. We are the people who solve the hard issues in business, government and life, which others do not even want to think about.
So, we will keep beating the majority of you that are just not driven like us. To those people like us and to those things that challenge us everyday, we will tip our cap to you when you do beat us. We will be ready for you when we meet again.
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