When Winning Can Mean Losing

Sleep was not supposed to be so hard to come by. For days on end, I got precious few hours of sleep. My mind was beginning to show signs of major fatigue. I could feel the inevitable crash coming on. I had not prepared myself for this. There would be no winning this time.

I wasn’t in a race. Striving to get a little more done, I set and shot for goals, leading me to make a few poor choices in self-care. I had family responsibilities and training I wanted. “I can manage,” I told myself.

Well, I did for a while, but a body that is not in great shape and a mind that needs rest and fuel to work at peak performance didn’t last forever.

There were times that I put the blame on others. There were too many demands on my time. Interruptions messed up my flow.

Then I would reflect. I had earned my pain. I chose into it.

Learn From Your Defeats

Honestly, this experience has expanded my understanding of myself, and of others. I feel spiritually energized as I think about how well I managed my emotions during a time, that in the past, I would have been emotionally out of control.

I started craving better foods. My greens were calling to me. I sought to drink more water. Pushing through something hard strengthened me. Where I was weak, I have greater potential to be strong.

That strength will not stay if I fail to nurture it, but it is starting to build. Yet, without the weakness that led me to it, I could not have seen the path that builds it.

What About Next Time?

Perhaps you think that once you learn a lesson it will not be repeated. That may sometimes be true, but as you go through life, opportunities to learn repeat constantly.

Don’t think yourself stupid because you didn’t learn the lesson. Often the lesson has a lot of layers, and you have passed the first level. This is actually part of game design.

Though game design is often manipulative, life may be more so. Yet, if you look at it with a positive perspective, you may find that the psychology of life helps you improve as you are driven to get to that next level of understanding.

So, if life seems hard at the moment, what might you be missing? Consider what being stuck in life is about. Is it only winning each time?

If you find yourself getting overly emotional when it comes to winning or losing, regardless of what that means in your life, consider getting someone to help you with perspective.

I am not referring to your friend who just commiserates with you to make you feel good because he is just as stuck as you. Do you have a mentor, someone who has walked the path and succeeded? If not, I recommend you find one that is invested in your growth.

I help people all the time in their growth. If it resonates with you, don’t hesitate. Take the opportunity to reach out to me and find out if the help I have to offer will work for you.

If you have a friend who is looking for a new perspective, share my newsletters. As you start stretching and helping others as you move yourself forward, the rewards will be sweet. I know that to be true.