Victors and losers
In the recent national and local elections, many of us were polarized by heated words, accusations, and counter-accusations from various parties and groups. Such outpourings of emotion are understandable, especially when dealing with higher levels of personal and societal support. And so much has been said about reconciliation and moving on since the election.
The supporters of the winning candidates, in particular, have been urging the other side to move on. The purpose is admirable in and of itself, if it is truly intended to heal bruised selves. But who are those who can say they are truly ready to move on? They are from the losing end. It is understanding that healing is a very relative process is also quite beneficial. Otherwise, such a plea to move on comes across as forced and insulting. Moving on is a good thing, but it should never be forced or vengeful. As it should be, with a sense of inclusiveness.
Reaching out necessitates honesty on both sides, but especially on the winning side. And sincerity is accompanied by extreme humility, this is especially difficult to comprehend when the winning side is still in the ecstasy of triumph and in the aggressive mindset of proving and defending that victory.
Accepting defeat also needs a lot of guts and humility
from the losing side. Initially shrouded by doubts and trepidation, such an opening of hearts and minds to accept defeat involves recognizing the reality that it is not about winning but about losing, and that it is how we play that has caused us to stumble.
What exactly is defeat? Nothing except education, the first step toward a better future. Victory and defeat are natural parts of life that should be accepted with grace.
Adversity is the best teacher. Every setback, every grief, every failure includes a seed, a lesson on how to do better the next time. Don't allow defeat define and govern us, no matter how painful it is at the time. Instead, use it as motivation to improve and strengthen ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
We all want to learn how to win, but we never want to know how to lose, to accept failure. Learning to die allows you to be free of it. So, when tomorrow comes, we must set aside our ambitions and learn to die! We may go forward with our life once we have accepted defeat, often known as the death of a dream. Furthermore, that fearlessness will allow us to give our all, resulting in more victories and fewer losses.
We need to display gratitude towards those that gave us an opportunity to “compete” in the first place, whether they be gods, mentors, or friends. Being defeated is better than not attempting sometime at all, so we should thank those who gave us an opportunity to take a shot at our goal.
Failure isn't always the result of a lack of motivation or effort. It is sometimes the only thing that can remind us of how to humble ourselves and see the bigger picture. Every loss allows us to humble ourselves in front of those we regard to be greater than ourselves.
Finally, only through defeat can you grow, and only through growth can we truly feel successful. We should all be victors that will not breed hatred for those defeated will live in misery, but for those at peace within will live happily, abandoning up ideas of victory and defeat.
"Every setback, every grief, every failure includes a seed, a lesson on how to do better the next time."