How'd We Do?

Well, if you read my last post, you are probably wondering if we won our game. The answer is: no. We lost to the other team. Most of my teammates played really hard, and even Elizabeth got to serve (due to her hurt leg, she really shouldn't have but she did very well!) We played a 3 out of 5 (3/5) set, and lost 3. Yeah, it hurt a lot, but I realized that there is a time and season for everything... even losing. Even though we played hard, there were disappointments, and, yes, even failed on some of the easiest-to-get bumps and sets, we won. It definitely showed us what to work on, and it created a fire in me to want to win the next game! I realized that we aren't winners if we win the game -- we're winners by how we respond to winning or losing. If we become all haughty and arrogant and act like jerks when we win, we just lost! If we become sad, depressed, and overwrought, bringing ourselves down to where we tell ourselves, "You will never win. You are a loser," we just lost in the worst way! But should we decide to be encouraging to the other team -- not acting like jerks -- we are truly the winners of the game! If we lose, we can instead look at what we need to work on (and then work on it) and decide to win the next game! We can look ahead: if we do this, this will happen. If we don't do this, this will/will not happen. I want to challenge you today, whether you are on a team or not, if someone were to beat you, or you beat someone else, in something, anything, choose to be a winner... not a loser -- even if you win!