The glory in defeat

WEtend to believe that defeat is the end of everything, the consummation of hope, and the fall of a rising dream. Most amateurs give up once confronted with this fall. Others see it as a sign that the adventure chosen was not the right one. Yet in the truest meaning of the word, defeat, if overcomes, commences the first step to victory and success.

Successful people in any field, whether in business, sports, or any academic field, had numerous encounter with setbacks before finally reaching the top. It is an ingredient to success. I believe it is the main one. Without the challenge of this loss, the will never get to be hardened.

The biggest fish resides not in the shallow seas but in the deepest chambers of the oceans. They do not swim along the seashores but travels in the wild seas. In order for one to see one he must venture the farthest of the deep and for him to catch one he must survive the rough and rogue hospitality of deep waters. I believe that the first tries are the toughest ones. You need to learn to realize that longer days will be counted, and even months before reaching the right place. And more days shall again be counted before finally catching one. But the prize is worthier than the easy fruits of labor in the shallows.

The taste of a loss is bitter but it is only through bitterness that you learn to appreciate sweetness. My friend, Alein, promised himself he will pass the engineering board exam once he takes it. He flew to Manila for a six-month review. He distanced himself away with his peers to avoid wasted nights of getaways. When the board examination came he was ready. He went to Church the day before and did every little thing he knew to complete the preparation. The results came but he did not see his name in the list of passers. He felt down. He felt lost, and disappointed, but he never felt discouraged.

The next year he tried again. He hit the review center one more time. He did the same thing. A number of months of reading books and listening to reviewers. Second time he took the board exam, he failed anew. He now failed twice. The sting of the second was worse. His cousins were already working and his parents were now asking.

The two failures did not however deter him. He did the same thing on the third year. This time he made it. Now he is a fullpledge engineer.

Defeat is the best test of a person whether he is worthy to reach his goal or not. Most had dealt with it one time of their lives. Some tried to learn new adventures but when they got whipped with a loss, disappointment came along with it and then discouragement. Next thing we knew was, they’d stopped doing it.

The experience of loss gives us the thought that we cannot win it, that there are more people in the world who are better than us, and that we will never beat them. The surpassing of this hurdle on the other hand renews our spirit to go on.

Defeat is where we source out our lessons. If we are not so emotional about it, then it gives us ideas to become better. It makes us come back with new strategies that transform us to a whole new u, a different us, and a tougher us.

There might be a negative connotation in losing but one must remember that behind that winning are the numerous experiences of losses. The only thing that’s wrong when one loses is the idea that one has disappointed his loved ones, or perhaps himself but aside from it no one really makes a big deal about it. It is a part of success and perhaps the biggest part of it. Without it, it is nearly impossible for one to succeed. The greatest thing that defeat gives one is that it makes one stronger as an achiever and as a person.