There are games that one plays and as you play you get better.
The more difficult the opponent the more you progress.
A skilled player will tax you, frustrate you and surprise you. Later you will lick your wounded pride.
Afterwards, you gain from reflections on the lessons only an expert can painfully give you. Exposure to excellence does many things.
On the one hand, it raises the bar of what is possible to heights you never knew existed.
On the other, you learn humility and the grace to lose well.
Otherwise, you may become a petty loser who blames everything and everyone for the gross injustice of not winning.
Or perhaps you settle for only ever playing those of less ability than yourself.
You become a perverted winner by fixing the game by default.
In doing so you miss out on the real lesson to be learned.
You will boast and bluster your victories to all who have the patience to listen.
But all the while a tiny inner voice will nurture self-doubt.
Losing is such a necessary part of life.
It shows you there is much to do.
To change, adapt, learn from others before the big game is up.
You have to play this game of life. Win or lose it will take place.
Your only choice is to learn from each loss or settle for pretending to be the winner you are not.
Quotes from winners from over 2000 years ago
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome. Lived from 121-180 AD.
“Happiness and freedom begin with one principle. Some things are within your control and some are not.”
Epictetus – Stoic philosopher. Lived from 55-155 AD.
“Difficulties strengthen the mind as labour does the body.”
Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher. Lived from 4BC-66AD.
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”
Confucius, Chinese teacher and philosopher. Lived 551-479 BC.
“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.”
Heraclitus of Ephesus, Greek philosopher. Lived 535-475 BC.
“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others."
Plato, Greek philosopher and mathematician. Lived approximately 428-347 BC.
“Be still my heart; thou hast known worse than this.”
Homer, Greek author of the Illiad and the Odyssey. Dates of birth and death are unknown. Lived somewhere in the range of 1102-850 BC.
PS the last one is one of my favourites!
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