What do I know about losing? I know a whole bunch. I’m pretty sure I have had more losses than wins however I would like to state that my wins have been big! HOW can that be? HOW can being a five-time loser make you ultimately a winner? We all win from losing, that’s HOW!
I set out in life to be somebody. I thought that by winning I would magically become a somebody. What I didn’t realize was that being somebody was really more about becoming somebody. Through my experiences good, bad and ugly (sometimes really ugly) I over time realized that HOW one loses in life can contribute to HOW you win. I know, I know…that seems to be an oxymoron right? What I mean is that if you can take a loss well, get up and try again (and sometimes again, and again and again), the wins when they do happen, become sweeter.
Being in business is a lot like competing in a beauty pageant, something I know a lot about. You can’t just show up and expect to walk away with the crown. It takes months and years of preparation, practice and performing to perfect your YOU. I’ve noticed that those who win these competitions have a spirit and originality about them that shines brightly. You can’t just copy everything the last winner did and expect to win. You have to put your best YOU out there for all to see.
I’ve competed in many pageant programs and usually ended up not the winner. But I put on my big girl pants and tried many times despite the losses. Let me tell you as a result, the several times I was named the winner made basking in the glory simply marvelous. Over the years while trying and trying, I honed my skills. Just like an entry-level sales manager has to earn experience by actually doing the job so does a beauty queen.
With each failure I had the choice to either quit or compete again. Obviously I chose to persist. My inner drive, my “I believe in me” attitude along with my deep desire to win pushed me. Years of trial and error and then finding a mentor helped me to win and each time my desire to be better rose exponentially.
That feeling of desire is HOW I feel now in business – get better, get smarter, get more in tune with what you do and HOW you do it. As I reflect back, I won $25,000 in scholarship money for college and as Mrs. Minnesota, I used my platform to raise $1million for charity. I’ve authored two books, I had a successful corporate executive career, and now a thriving entrepreneurial one. Winning!
My message here is that you need to always give it a try…whatever “it” is for you. Let your desire propel you to compete against yourself. There is only one YOU in life and business..
