I was in my early thirties and taken a new job out of state. It meant we had to move our family. Things are rarely what they appear to be when you join a new company. I quickly learned that we were losing money and that my job was being created to help turn things around. Talk about pressure!
After many months working with consultants, experts and the brightest minds in the business, the company owners realized that many of these business challenges couldn’t be corrected.
I felt like a failure.
A meeting was held announcing that the company was going to be sold. I was sitting in my office distraught, as most people would be after news like that. It must have been all over my face as one of the more senior members saw me from the hall and popped in and said, “are you OK?”
“Not really, does it show?” I said. “Just a little,” he said. “Can I give you some advice?”
“The news we got today wasn’t good. But it doesn’t mean that the game is over. We have to continue to stay in the game and play like we’re winning. Whatever happens is out of our control. But, we have to stay fully invested in the game and continue to play as if we are going to win.”
And that is the lesson for so much of life. We give up on life before life gives up on us. Sure, we have ups and downs but they never last. Look at all the great athletes and their desire to continue trying to win, up until the very last seconds of the game.
Don’t you give up on yourself. There is a lot more time on the game clock of life.
Stay in the game…and play like you are winning!