A Super Lesson

History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.
-- B.C. Forbes

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Super Bowl XLVI is in the record books: New York Giants 21 – New England Patriots 17.

Congratulations to the Super Bowl champions! The New York Giants had a quintessential roller coaster season. At midseason they were 6-2. Four straight losses landed them with a .500 mark with 4 games to play. After week 15, they were still only a .500 team (7-7). With divisional rivals, Green Bay, New Orleans and San Francisco having stellar seasons, the thought of the Giants making it to the Super Bowl seemed all but a “pipe dream.” Besides, the Packer, Saints and 49ers beat the Giants during the Giants four game losing streak between weeks 10 and 13. At that point in the season, one might expect for the Giants to throw in the proverbial throw and begin focusing on next year; no, not the Giants!

Possessing an extraordinary will to win and believing it to be possible, the New York Giants found ways to win. Enough ways to find themselves in the Super Bowl and enough ways to win the big game! The Giants’ season and their Super Bowl victory define the cornerstone of success: passion and belief. It was their passion and belief that fueled the qualities necessary to become the top of their class: those qualities being discipline, hard work and perseverance. While the rest of the world was doubtful, the Giants believed it to be possible. It’s because of their unwavering belief and unbridled passion that they are now the best team in the National Football League. For sure, the Giants will have a target on their back next season. Will this year’s success breed complacency or will the Giants work that much harder to stay at the top?

Just as the Giants’ Super Bowl victory teaches us a valuable life lesson about winning, the Patriots loss teaches us a valuable life lesson about defeat. Defeat is only temporary. The quote from Marilyn vos Savant puts it into perspective, “Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent." Will the Patriots wallow in self-pity, make excuses and point fingers, or will they see their defeat as just a temporary condition and use it as a catalyst to come back stronger next year? One must understand a defeat/loss is not intended to punish us; it intended to serve us. Whether it punishes a person or serves a person depends entirely on the person. A defeat/loss tells us we are not quite there yet. Thus, affording us an opportunity to make the necessary adjustments that will put us in a better position to succeed next time around.

The Super Bowl teams remind us that in our life there will be times when we’ll feel like the Giants; experiencing the joys of success, and times when we’ll feel like the Patriots; coping with the sting of defeat. Yes, life is a series of wins and losses. Each win and each loss contains a lesson. It is not important that we keep a record of the wins and losses, for a loss can contain far greater value than a win. Instead of focusing too much on our wins and losses, we need to focus our attention on the person we become as a result of our wins and losses. Remember, time has a way of turning a win or a loss into nothing but a faded memory. What doesn’t fade away is the person that we have become because of triumphs we’ve encountered and defeats we’ve suffered. So, when our game of life finally comes to an end and we stand before the head referee, we will not be judged on the number of our wins and losses, but we’ll be judges on how we played the game and, more importantly, the person we became because of the game.

It’s your life: live it, love it, & celebrate it!

MJD