We live in a culture that worships winning and winners. We believe that winning and winners drive everything of importance in our world. This obsession with winning and winners colors and clouds everything we do. It drives our systems – educational, religious, political, corporate, social. We write articles about winners. We make movies about winners. We run television segments about winners. We immortalize winners in books. We elevate winners.
As exciting and exhilarating as winning can be, there are times When Winning Is Losing!
You don’t believe me? Allow me to share just a few examples When Winning Is Losing.
Winning Is Losing when:
- We sacrifice integrity for superiority.
- We expect less of our winning leaders and heroes.
- We excuse the inexcusable behavior of winners.
- We ignore obvious violations of human rights by those we deem winners.
- We define intimidation as leadership.
- We escape responsibility by playing the “winner” card.
- We allow winners to create their own realities because they are . . . well . . . winners!
- We encourage children to elevate winning above all else.
- We focus on winning as the ONLY thing!
- We focus on winning rather than long-term results.
- When we call what is real, fake and what is fake, real.
Winning is losing when we expect to be served by those we defeat. Winning is losing when we think more highly of ourselves than we should. Winning is losing when . . . well, you get the picture.
Winning is Losing when self-centeredness supersedes service.
Sometimes,real winners are born of adversity when we discover the power of resiliency. Sometimes winners emerge from a devastating defeat and create a realistic perspective of life. Sometimes winners surface when we work to find ways to share the winning. Sometimes winners lead the way by cultivating a servant’s heart.
Let’s face it, life gets pretty weird When Winning is Losing. Why not work to make winning what it should be – a platform to lift all to a better way of living?
Peace!
Mark E Hundley
