🏎️What Does It Really Mean to Win?
I’ve been thinking about the word win lately. What does it really mean to win? Is a compromise a win?
In sports, the answer is clear. You have scores. The Mets can’t walk over to the Yankees after a 4-3 loss and intimidate them into giving up two points so the Mets can saunter off with a 5-2 victory as though they deserved it.
That’s not how it works with sports. You win, you lose, or you tie. Even a tie isn’t truly a win or a loss. It just… is.
Life, however, seems to have far more compromises than clear wins. Growing up, we were taught – or we taught our children – the old adage,
“It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.”
I wonder how often, as adults, we actually take this simple phrase to heart. Is it really about how we play the game?
In the game of life, are we playing to win? If so, what does winning look like? Does it look like having the last word, manipulating someone into your own schemes or desires, turning out “successful” children, making more money, or having more material possessions than your neighbor? Should we even be playing at life as if it were a game?
Because in this so-called “game of life”, there often appear to be winners and losers. If the goal is to separate individuals, classes, minorities, or socioeconomic statuses by dollars and cents, then there will always be those deemed “less than” with regard to monetary value. Is this truly the goal of life?
For some, sadly, it seems to be. Life turns into a game marked by power, manipulation, narcissism, and control.
Yet, if you are reading this today, I am going to quietly assume life is not a game to you. Life, to you, means living and loving, being kind, and doing your best to treat others with dignity.
Winning is not about status, possessions, or dominance. Perhaps for you, the meaning of life values contentment over striving for more, and honors a mission of treating others as you want to be treated.
If you haven’t thought about it in a while – or if recent political or social events have caused you to reflect more deeply – maybe you are reconsidering what it means to win, lose, compromise, or bully. Perhaps you are reevaluating what life is really about.
Wherever you are in this thought process, know that you are welcome here. This community is designed for the humble of heart and the vulnerable in spirit.
We do not keep score. There are no winners or losers.
There is no bullying, no intimidation, and no class system.
There is only love.
and…
Love is all there is.
Come one. Come all. There is always room for you at the table.
With love,
Laura Lyn
⸻
Questions for reflection:
What does it really mean to win – and is life even meant to be a game?
How do you define “winning” in your life right now, and does that definition align with the values you want to live by?
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