Welcome to America’s national obsession with winning.
Yesterday was the homeowner of my football team that has made losing a habit. Yet, like thousands of others I hold out hope for an unexpected win. As fans, we roller coaster through with our teams, and our emotions run the gamut from euphoria to sheer depression with each victory or loss. We internalize wins and losses with a fervor that is probably not healthy.
As Vince Lombardi once stated, “winning is not everything – it is the only thing.” In sports as in life, I think losing, like winning, has the potential to become a habit. We settle for lower grades, lost sales, a lack of 100 percent effort. And then the finger pointing starts. It takes a true professional and a special person to admit fault and take responsibility. And tactically adjust in real time.
While we may never win all the time, effort and commitment differentiates the men from the boys. Winning is a journey, not a destination — that’s why there is another game next Sunday.
About Hemant Rustogi