Three Ways to Lose Like a Winner

Nobody bats 1,000 or hits every shot. Every great winner has his share of losses. Michael Jordan missed some potential game winning shots, Tom Brady throws the occasional pick-six, Babe Ruth struck out A LOT, yet each of these guys are icons of excellence and people we see as legendary winners… so we have to know that sometimes we’re gonna lose too, that’s just a fact. So in light of that fact, ask yourself this question – am I going to lose like a loser, or lose like a winner?  

Manny Pacquiao lost a boxing match on Saturday that everyone thought he won… except for the three guys officially judging the match. While many would have chosen to react in anger, Manny responded in grace and in the process taught us three ways to Lose like a Winner.

Praise Your Opponent:

• “I feel his power. He is strong…He was a tough opponent…I tried to knock him out in the ninth round, but he survived.” – Pacquiao

Avoid the blame game & take personal responsibility if you can

• Pacquiao needed 17 stitches after the match due to two accidental head butts from his opponent yet he didn’t use that as an excuse.
• He didn’t blame the refs even though pretty much everyone scoring the bout had Pacquiao as the winner, except the three official judges.

Respect the Game/Profession

• “I am professional. I respect the judges. That’s the decision of the judges. I respect that,” Pacquiao said.
• Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s Hall of Fame trainer, also took the high road. “I have to go along with Manny and say I respect the decision of the judges, I did think Manny won, but Jeff Horn showed a lot of heart. He is a big, strong fighter, and I congratulate him.”
• Pacquiao graciously stood at ringside next to Horn as they were both interviewed.

My hope for you is that these three points resonate with you and that you realize that just because you lose, you don’t have to be a loser. If you’re reading this, you’re a winner, so determine to act like one…even when you’re losing.

Thanks for Reading.

Josh 

For in-depth commentary, feel free to view this video. Information for this article was gathered from ESPN.com

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