Upside of Losing

In today’s society, everything is about winning. Winning is infectious and once you have a taste of it, and you will do whatever it takes to continue to be on top. However, not everybody can be a winner. We learn this lesson early on in life. When it comes to winning and losing, it’s all about how you react to it.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, “losing is defined as resulting in or likely to result in defeat.” Lance Armstrong said it best in Every Second Counts, “Losing, on the other hand, really does say something about who you are. Among other things it measures are: do you blame others, or do you own the loss? Do you analyze your failure, or just complain about bad luck?”

Without a doubt, losing sucks. But if you are willing to examine your failure and view it in a positive light you realize the up side to losing. How, you ask?

When you have put everything you have into winning and fall short, losing allows you to learn more about yourself. Losing causes you to pause and admire the journey and the hard work you have put into your quest, reflecting on the things you can work on and the things you did well. Without losing, winning would not be as sweet or memorable.

Sometimes losing can teach us a very valuable lesson: a lesson in humility. A modest approach can be the best approach.

Losing challenges character. We all hate when our character is in question. When you win it is easy to have a great positive attitude. You are on top of your mountain and everything is going right for you. But when you lose, that mountain never seemed so steep or treacherous before.

Without a doubt, losing teaches you valuable lessons that winning simply cannot. Losing strengthens your character and makes you a well-rounded individual. Losing humbles you, makes you work that much harder to reach your desired goal and dreams.

Losing is an essential stage of life. Yes, you may not have reached the level of success you were striving for, but losing allows for growth that you may not have been susceptible to while on the winning side. What goes up must come down, so hang in there. Go back to the drawing board. Learn from past mistakes, make yourself a better person, and go out and try again.

When losing at something you really wanted to succeed at happens to you – and it will happen to you – you can do one of two things: let it define you, or you can let it fuel a fire that creates new dreams.

Losing can be more beneficial to you as a person than winning. People who win constantly become content and satisfied. Armstrong would go on to say, “You easily, and wrongly, assume it has something to do with your rare qualities as a person. But winning only measures how hard you’ve worked and how physically talented you are; it doesn’t particularly define you beyond those characteristics.”

Losing allows you to see your internal working. It’s a self-defining moment more valuable than any winning moment could ever be. It shows you who you really are.