Growing up, I hated to lose in anything, at anytime! As a wrestler, and now as a jiu-jitsu practitioner, I didn’t even want to lose in practice. I was unwilling to try new techniques. I’d execute known techniques, which allowed me to maximize my chances of winning.
As a result, my growth was stunted. Against “outside” competition, when I needed more techniques, I didn’t have them. Guess what happened? I wasn’t able to competently compete!
LESSON LEARNED: Losing isn’t bad all the time. Just as failures are inevitable prior to successes, losing is inevitable prior to winning. My dear friend, Mazi Heydary, said it best, “Be willing to accept short term loses, for long term gains!”
