Winning is for Losers
Would you rather be a winner or a loser?
Stupid question? Yes — just as stupid as answering ‘loser’.
Of course everyone wants to be a winner. Who wouldn’t want the glory, the kudos and the rewards of being supreme amongst your peers?
Well, here’s the reason why:
If you insist on being a winner, you have to be a loser too.
Winning and losing are two sides of the same coin. It’s the coin of competition.
Sure, if you prepare well enough you may well position yourself as the likely winner in a match. You may well enjoy a winning streak, taking the laurels time and again. But sooner or later, you?will?lose. Unbeaten boxers remain unbeaten only because they retire when they are still winning, in the full knowledge that a loss was inevitable sooner or later.
The emotional toll that staying ‘on top’ takes is significant. And the more you invest in the competition, the greater the ups and downs you experience.
Paradoxically, the impact of consistently winning is not all we might imagine it to be. Elite athletes often report bouts of serious depression following a big win, even though physical activity is shown to improve mental health in the general population.
There is even a name for this: Summit Syndrome, which applies equally to the world of work. Promotions and pay rises can yield a disappointingly short period of satisfaction, once the initial excitement has worn off.
From this perspective, winning is little better than losing. Some would say that at least losing gives you the opportunity to do better. Winning over and over leaves you with nowhere to go.
OK — so if we don’t compete, what do we do instead?
Simple…?Create.
The alternative to competition is creation. Creation starts from within — from your imagination — and unfolds through activities that reference an inner vision or dream. Compare that to competition, which only references what someone else is doing — something outside of yourself.
When you reference the activities of another, you need to continually compare what they are doing to what you are doing — you have to?compete.
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Another syndrome of competition is that it tends to be outcome-focused, not process-focused.
Two pottery classes were asked to make pots. One was asked to make the?best?pot. The other, to make many pots. At the end of the project, the class that was asked to focus on the?process?— making many pots — had not only made more pots, but had made better pots than the other class!
Competition demands and maintains a lower level of consciousness than creation. It lies closer to the human emotions of greed and envy which emanate from false beliefs in one’s lack and limitation. It reduces everything around you to a threat.
Creation, in marked contrast, is based on the infinite possibilities that our imaginations provide for us — emanating from abundance and plenty. It sees everything around you as an inspiration.
If you notice a competitive dynamic within you,?don’t beat yourself up about it. All you’re doing then, is comparing yourself to the idealisms outlined in this article — competing with them. Instead, just notice where your attention goes next time you need to do something and play with bringing your attention back to the process, not fixating on the outcome.
Process can only be perceived in the present moment. Outcomes only exist in the past or the future. Life can only be found in the now moment, nowhere else.
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