
Jon Gordon
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There
was a time in most of our lives when we had no fear — that feeling
when we jumped from the jungle gym and slammed our little bodies to
the ground. Perhaps it was when we went on our first roller coaster,
or when we were in high school or college and felt that there was
nothing we couldn’t do. No goal was unattainable. We were an
unstoppable force that would think of something and then make it
happen. Then, as time goes by, the world tells us more frequently
that we can’t do what we want. The doubters laugh at our goals and
try to persuade us from going after our dreams.
They say, “You’re crazy. It’s too hard. Why don’t you do this
instead? You should play it safe.” They act as if dreams were meant
for others but not people like us. They surround us with negative
energy and try to instill their own fears and insecurities in us. We
not only begin to know the word “fear,” we start to understand what
it’s like to be fearful. With so many people telling us we can’t do
something and so few telling us we can, it’s hard not to let fear
into our lives. Unfortunately this is how many of us go through
life.
Whether you are 20 or 50, many of us become so scared of losing what
we have that we don’t go after what we truly want. We play it safe
and hold on so tight to the status quo that we never experience what
could be. We believe the doubters and don’t take chances that will
move us one step towards our dreams. I call this “playing to lose.”
We see this in sports all the time when a team has the lead. They
start to think about how not to lose instead of how to win. They
hold on so tight to their lead that they start playing safe and
scared. You can see it in their energy and body language. As a
result the other team takes chances, plays with no fear and
eventually gains the momentum and wins.
To live a life filled with positive energy we must learn to repel
the energy of fear. Whether it comes from within or from another
person, we must overcome fear and adopt a “Play to Win” mindset.
Playing to win requires a commitment to yourself that even if you
fail, you will never give up and never let your goals and dreams
die.
Those who play to win know that success is not given to us. It is
pursued with all the energy and sweat we can muster. Obstacles and
struggles are part of life and only serve to make us appreciate our
success.
If everything came easy we wouldn’t know what it felt like to truly
succeed. Obstacles are meant to be overcome. Fear is meant to be
conquered. Success is meant to be achieved. They are all part of the
game of life and the people who succeed play to win and never give
up until the game is over.
~Jon
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