Iremember the days when I used to be chubby, but an acquaintance cheered me up by saying, “You have lost several pounds.”

Nobody loves to lose. Who would like to lose a game of cards, a lucky draw, a job with exceptional perks or any other thing of value? The problem arises with the misperception that you have to win every contest you take part in.

Don’t forget that most high achievers have once been losers. Whether it is Thomas Addison, Nelson Mandela, Virginia Woolf, or Abraham Lincoln, the challenges they had to counter failed to disillusion them.

Life would be simpler if you learn how to lose, with the same kind of spirit with which a bulky person steadily loses weight. Don’t confuse failure with under-performance. For instance, the last runner in a sprint does not lose, he tried his best but the others did better on that day.

Also, never let a bad experience stop you from taking chances. You are not a loser as long as you keep toiling. Meanwhile, never forget those lessons which a seemingly less lucrative but a concerted effort makes you learn.

No doubt, winning is a good habit. But hard times teach us to lose with grace. The following ideas reiterate how to exhibit sportsman spirit and to beat an ordeal.

Do more, expect less

You tend to feel like a loser when you have surreal expectations from yourself. Great expectations often remain unmet and they may hurt. It is better to do the best possible, stay grounded and leave the rest to God.

It’s never over: as an aftermath of an apparent debacle, you may feel that it is all over.

This feeling is an illusion. If you performed poorly today, you can make a better try tomorrow. Though it may appear so, it is never over before you stop trying.

Enjoy the effort

Let’s resolve that we won’t let craving for success or fear of failure haunt us all the time. Learn to enjoy the journey to your goal. If you are unable to achieve what you enjoy, adapt to enjoying what you have achieved.

Don’t repeat mistakes

Even if the results of an effort do not seem favourable, a fair analysis of your mistakes helps. A potential achiever takes a worse experience as the way forward. He does not mind making mistakes, but never repeats them.

No pain, no gain

Just like there is an end to every joy, pains are mortal as well. A bunch of painstaking efforts culminate at one grand victory. As Allama Iqbal, the great thinker and poet said, “For a thousand years the narcissus laments its blindness, but with great difficulty the one with true vision is born in the garden.”

Life has different flavours

Sometimes, it is welcoming and, at other times, it becomes challenging. Your craft is to extract good from nothing. Celebrate the harsh days with a broad smile and your perseverance would make your life story stand out and worth sharing.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 30th, 2019