"Losing" vs. "Winning"

Life brings lots of opportunities for growth. Some of them come at the most unexpected of moments.

Think about it.

You get a job, and you are ecstatic.

You get laid off, and you are depressed.

You fall in love, and you feel amazed this has happened to you.

You break up, and you become suicidal.

You make a bunch of money, and think "This is cool, maybe I can retire young."

Then, you lose it all, and think, "I'm never going to be able to retire."

Slowly, drip by drip, with the awful grace of knowledge slowly gained, which experience actually makes you stronger, wiser, more resilient?

It's the losing moments.




That is the beauty of what my 15-year-old experienced today, as his soccer team lost their first game of the season to a bigger, stronger, better team, 5-1. His team made mistakes.



A loss is hardly the end of the world. As he said, "We'll play them again. And revenge is a sweet feeling." Of course, he has been playing soccer competitively for ten years now, since he was five, so he wise beyond his years. He knows you win some and you lose some, but you always get to play again.

That's what youth athletics offers a kid. If only all of us went through that kind of training. It toughens you up.

He was happy after this game. No tears, no regrets. Just lots of laughs, and an eye toward the future. He played very well. And he knows there will be a next time.

If you lose your job, your marriage or your savings, please remember this: There will be a next time for you too.

And, odds are, the outcome will be in your favor. Because that's the way the law of averages works it all out.

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