“For winners, losing inspires them. For losers, losing defeats them.” — Robert T. Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad
What are your thoughts when you lose? How do you feel about losing? I’ve always felt like I was inferior to my brother. When I was in school, I was definitely not a grade-A student. In my adult life, I’ve started 8 businesses, most of which are currently dead.
I am an expert at failing, even within the surviving companies, so most of the projects I start end up failing. But I keep losing. So, I just try harder the next time. I’m not denying the fact that it sucks. But it sucks because life is an experiment.
Every time you experiment, you learn something new and gain knowledge about yourself and the world. “When starting something, I often wonder: “What’s the worst that could happen?”. Because the answer is always “nothing too bad”. At the very least, you will have learned something.
It sounds like you have a lot of fun. If you want more fun and excitement, get yourself to a karaoke bar and sing like a pro. There are several points in “7 Ways to Prevent Your Child from being a Sore Loser”, written by Amy Morin for VeryWell Family, that are particularly relevant. One is this: Don’t let your child win.
When your child has a meltdown, it doesn’t really matter if it happens today or 10 years from now. Over time, you won’t be doing them any favors by preventing that meltdown. Don’t intentionally lose to win your kid’s heart, even if it means letting them feel bad.
By letting her win you’re only reinforcing to her that she can’t handle losing. It’s not uncommon to feel disappointed in the outcome of a game when you lose. The key is to realize that a loss is an opportunity to learn something about yourself and become a better competitor.
How do you feel about loss? What was the nature of your childhood loss? I’m no doctor, but I know a thing or two about the power of habits. Winning is habit, losing sucks. Winning and losing is a habit, and when you’re accustomed to losing, it becomes normal. Epic victories make a habit of your life.
Think about that for a bit.
My wife hates losing, and as such, she’s been losing games for years. She bought a Win Journal to keep track of her losses and then share them with me, hoping that if she loses enough, she can finally beat me.
When I win, no matter how important the prize is, I recognize it, and I celebrate, or at least, I recognize it. The thing that makes someone want to win is usually the opposite of the person’s behavior in a victory. When you have the habit of winning, you stop realizing you are winning, even feeling like you’re losing too often.
That is definitely not good for your morale! Can you see the shift in mindset I’m trying to impart to you? There’s no better way to experiment than to read what other people are doing and trying.
You don’t have to be a genius to figure this out: all life is an experiment. And you get one shot at it, no matter how many times you repeat it. If you’re going to fail, failing big, failing fast, failing smart, is still better than never trying at all.
The more experiments you make the better”—Ralph Waldo Emerson “The true method of knowledge is experimentation”—William Blake “I am my own experiment. In a creative process, the best art isn’t just about creating; it’s about testing, experimenting, and exploring.
Experimenting is the sole judge of scientific truth. If you don’t do it, then you’ll never know. Good thing we’re experts at this topic, because it’s so confusing! But don’t worry — after completing this course you’ll be able to create your own unique version of a “Hello World” website in just a few minutes.
When you start from failure you always have an opportunity to succeed. I started a habit of losing. I lost, and then I found out. Don’t believe me? I should have heard you play ukulele on April 1st; it was not glorious! So, what you’re saying is: “I did it. I did it, and I’m so happy for myself!
If you have an interest in salsa dancing, you should follow the advice of this book. You can’t change the past, but you can take control of the future. In 2018, I started writing for real. Before that, I was doing a lot of talking to people, listening, watching, and thinking about how I could be an expert in my field.
And, sure enough, I’ve done because I did so much. It turns out 2018 is also the year that I’ve accomplished the most in my life. It’s amazing to think that so much happened in such a short time.
When something goes wrong, ask yourself these questions:
A simple habit I can start that will help me move out of my comfort zone. Your wins are small because you’re in it for the long haul.
What one simple thing you failed at that you could turn into a lesson?
How can you turn your loss into a win?
You can fail in all kinds of places – a restaurant, the gym, anywhere. What skill will I learn so badly that it will hurt to see myself found?
I want to get the most out of this lesson. I need to understand what doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger.
Use these as a starting point for your own writing prompt and write your own response.
It always sounds dumb when the person you’re the least honest with is yourself.
It’s not easy to accept that losing is not bad for you since it’s been your belief that losing is bad for you. When you don’t always win, you don’t get what you want out of life.
Failure is important in getting better at something, but do you dare to do the reflection above?
It’s time to explore the many benefits of this lifestyle. Get started on your journey to rewire your brain and thrive.
You’re right. You can do this!