Loser Or Winner? Who are you?

 By Angeline M Duran Santiago

Even when we lose, we are still winners.

"Baloney!" you say.

"No, I'm not kidding." I reply.

You work hard to get to finals.

You put in the extra hours and sacrifice.

It doesn't have to be a game.

Life. It's part of life, your life.

You push yourself to pass limits set by doctors.

Family sets limits and you set them, too.

You press through. You run through. You push through.

Everything you're told to do is what you religiously follow.

The rituals become part of your breathing.

You want to win. You want to beat the opposition.

And then.....

you lose.

You lose the game.

You don't get the promotion.

Your child doesn't get accepted into the school you wanted.

Your child gets hurt.

Family lets you down.

Your job lets you go after countless overtime.

Your friends betray you.

Sickness gets worse.

You end up being last. Last. No one sees you running to the finish line because you're last and the cheering crowds have all gone home to celebrate with the winners.

Defeat claims a space in your mind and suddenly you see yourself as a loser, defeated, and unable to conquer the world. You said you would, remember?

Who said you're not a winner?
Two or three points less in a game? Bet it was close, though.
One boss deciding to let you go? There's another one waiting to hire you. Sickness and health conditions keeping you down? Who said you had to stay down?

Even when the crowd stops cheering, when the coaches are planning how to make you work extra hard, going over mistakes, and even when you're left outside to dry like wet laundry on a clothes line, you're not defeated.

The winner mentality is something you're going to have to feed and nourish regardless of who is with you and who is not. You are in charge of being your own cheerleader and giving yourself a huge pat on the back sometimes. Yes, it's great to heart the applause, get the promotion, move forward and be recognized. But, you are no smaller in God's eyes because you didn't win the race. You are no less in God's eyes because you are facing financial challenges. You are not junk, unimportant, or without priority because a few minor mishaps or mistakes have created some setbacks in your life.

Here's to the winner in you. I see the winner in you. God sees and celebrates, with a heavenly High Five, the greatness in you when you win the game and when you mess up on a business deal. God celebrates your life when you are in your last moments and when you're ready to run.

Here's to the winner in you because you are always a champion. His banner over you is love. His love makes you and me a winner. His love is all the courage and all the encouragement I need to keep me going. Before you call it quits, before you surrender, and before you walk away from your life, your dreams, your passion, your job, your goals, and your last breath, look in the mirror and see what an amazing masterpiece you are. When God created you, He created someone so unique, only you can ever be you. So, here's to the winner in you, don't stay down, get up and go!