You’re a Winner Wednesday

What determines a winner?

Genetics? Mindset? Drive?

To go a step further, what defines a winner?

Well, most of us would think of accolades. Recognition. Acclaim. Maybe even superstardom.

But what about those folks who are the quiet achievers—the ones who plod along day in, day out blazing a different, but distinct trail uniquely their own?

Food for thought, isn’t it?

As a little girl, I heard the same thing over and over from my mama and daddy.

“Remember who you are. You’re a winner!”

In rote-like fashion, often on a daily basis, they would affirm what they believed to be true until I, too, took them at their word.

Their declaration wasn’t meant as a strong-arm tactic to mold me into something I wasn’t.

It was a simple statement of fact.

In my parents’ minds, anything less wasn’t considered. And when a child grows up believing he or she is a winner, rest assured, that forever shapes the future and influences destiny.

While not everyone’s wired the same, most of us have the same core desire.

We want to matter.

We want to matter enough to others so they recognize our potential and hold us accountable.

It’s not a novel concept. Expectation breeds achievement.

But here’s something we should know, too:

We’re not winners because others say we are.

We’re winners because of who Christ has called us to be.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) In fact, read the entire scripture passage before that—so good!

Sometimes, we have the tendency to put on our self-comparison hats. (We writers know something about that.) Don’t do it!

Measuring our success by others’ yardsticks is debilitating and destructive. It serves no purpose.

So how do we think like winners—especially when negative forces drag us down?

 

• We can be proactive. We can think like a winner! A winning mindset is key when dealing with Negative Nancys and Downer Dans. We don’t have to subscribe to their poor me mentality. We can empathize to a degree, but let’s face it, life is rarely as bad as they make it to be. There’s a huge difference between a fast food order mix-up and having no food at all. Just ask the homeless.

 

• We can take breaks. If negative people are part of our daily lives there are still ways we can create some space—some “alone time.” At least temporarily. We all have to use the restroom, right? That’s usually a solitary activity. So are: reading, writing, bird-watching, whatever. The point being, if we strategize a bit throughout our day we can creatively reduce stress in several ways.

 

• We can choose happy over harried. We shouldn’t wear facades, but we have the right to choose joy and not feel guilty. The more we listen to complainers, the more steam in their engines. But what can we do? We can speak good thoughts. We can change topics. We can walk away. (Yes, sometimes it’s necessary and it really is okay.)

 

• We can tell the truth. Unpleasantness is never attractive in any form, and sometimes, it just has to be dealt with. Sometimes, we just have to say straight out how the pig ate the cabbage. We have to tell it like it really is. Unvarnished, but with Christ-like compassion.

 

• We can take the high road. Complainers will complain about our choice, or maybe—just maybe—they’ll rise to the occasion. We’re not out to make enemies. We’d prefer not to. We’d love to jump in the limo and invite them along for the ride!

***

PLEASE SHARE WITH OTHER WINNERS!

Having doubts? Here are five keys to a winning mindset.

(Click to Tweet)

A winning mindset isn’t always easy. What to do when negativity drags you down:

(Click to Tweet)

MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

Forget Mediocre. You Are Extraordinary!

Don’t Compare Your Productive Season to Someone Else’s

A movie recommendation—To Sir, With Love a classic starring the fabulous Sidney Poitier

What are your think like a winner tips?

What’s the biggest motivator for you?

***

I’ll be offering a newsletter in the coming months. Please SUBSCRIBE if you’d like to stay informed. (Your email address will remain private. I won’t be bribed even for really good chocolate!)

Here’s to a winning day!

Blessings Always,