Would You Compete If You Knew You Would Lose?

As I thought about times when there is a winner and loser such as sports and politics, I wondered if the losers would have competed if they knew the outcome. I wrote a Facebook post that I am sharing with my blog readers.

Morning Thought: If you could know the outcome of every situation, would you make the same decisions? Would you go forward knowing you would fail? Would you compete if you knew you would lose? Of course, if you knew you would win and succeed, you would go at a high pace. What we do know and it’s how life works, is the challenges in place which make us stronger if we learn from both the successes and failures. They both will happen to those who try. The only loss that is life defying is when someone sits on the sidelines without even trying. When they claim defeat without competing. In my lifetime, I have experienced both and learned from both. Successes have taught me I can win, not always, but the averages are in my favor. Losses have taught me to keep trying, maybe not the same thing in which I failed, but expansion of my talents in other directions. Failure is a temporary state if you get back up, dust yourself off, and get after life. Flaws sometime make us stronger because when they are overcome, they become a strength. God made us with flaws and strengths to balance us as humans. God could have made us perfect, but we can obtain a high degree of overcoming imperfection with God’s help. I look at life as a recipe where we have all of the ingredients, we mix them up, we stir and add other ingredients, we taste, and it is apparent, we are missing something. We pick up a spice or two, we taste again, and then we realize we need a little sugar to even out and make the other ingredients marry in a good way and it is delicious. God is the missing ingredient and once He is added, God will blend everything in our recipe of life. Don’t forget to add God to your life. You will be pleased how sweet life can be and your family and friends will enjoy your cooking.

John 6:35 ESV Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.John 6:51 ESV I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”Matthew 4:4 ESV But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

In life it is wise to consider:

• Be prepared for the unexpected, win or lose, prepare to compete.
• Competition is more about competing with yourself to do better than before.
• Learn from the failures, if you experience it and apply those lessons in the future.
• Be humble in both wins and losses, character strength is the best asset you possess.
• Practice, practice, practice in all phases in life. Do good, do great, and do your best.
• Be realistic in goals. Maybe a 5 foot person could achieve good things in basketball, but the odds are definitely not in your favor. Start with the best odds by analyzing your best qualities. If you run fast, maybe track or cross country is a possibility. If you have a good aim and eyesight, target or bow sports may be an option. Think about your assets and tweak your flaws to obtain the best possible odds of success but be realistic by not setting yourself up for failure.

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