“Success is moving from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
– Winston Churchill
Winning typically is defined by the scoreboard, but unless it’s a life or death battle, defining winning solely on the outcome of a game, a deal, a relationship, is a slippery slope.
The context matters here. I don’t consider the Buffalo Bills of the early 1990’s losers. They got to four Super Bowls, in a row. (1990-1993). There are still teams who’ve not been to one Super Bowl. There are players who never make it. There’s never been another team make four in a row. That’s not losing.
Ralph Wilson, the Bills’ long-time owner was the definition of class. Jim Kelly, the quarterback still defines grit and fight as he gets a leg up on cancer. Marv Levy, their coach, was one of the most enthusiastic guys ever, and he’s always been an inspiration to me. The Bills failed to win the games, but they were not losers, accomplishing something that no other team has ever accomplished.
So, what can we take away from Churchill’s words and Buffalo’s pain?
When we win, we should celebrate (and learn from it). When we lose, we should learn from it, and move on enthusiastically to whatever comes next. Churchill lived and led in a time when losing meant loss of life, and he still maintained this mindset. We ought to be able to step in time with him. The stakes aren’t minor for us, but they’re not life and death, so let’s head enthusiastically in to this, and every day, and find a way to make a difference.
Mick Kirisits says
Amen! Those were fun days in Buffalo!