Why you not talkin smack tonight??
That,s the question Brent asked me… and the answer was because I was losing a game of spades to him with a score of about 300 to 70. Apparently when I’m winning, I can be a bit of a smack-talker, but not so much so when I’m losing.
Accepting a loss can really hurt—the bigger the loss, the bigger the pain. Even a child knows how to accept and celebrate a win, but accepting a loss with grace is a mark of maturity.
When you lose something valuable, your response really tests and reveals your character and maturity. Do you get angry? Do you retreat? Are you happy for the person who won? Do you congratulate them? Do you cut them down, scrounging for ways to discredit their win?
With just 28 days left of my World Race, I am coming to realize that this concept of losing applies to more than just card games. In a few short weeks I will be losing this incredible community I’ve come to know and love over the past eleven months.
I think the key to losing gracefully comes with recognizing the benefits that come with experiencing loss. It is humbling. It gives you an opportunity to look to The Lord for strength. It develops character.
If you are scared of losing, you’ll never really apply yourself.
Go hard. Do your best. And when you experience loss, do it gracefully viewing it is a growing experience.
