In the first chapter of his recently published book titled Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn, John Maxwell correctly explains that many, if not most people believe and live the philosophy of “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The message is: hope to win, expect to lose, and live with the results either way.”
Maxwell asks his readers, “What’s wrong with this philosophy and way of working and living?” He emphatically answers his own question, writing, “It’s not how winners think!”
How do winners think? Maxwell writes:
“Successful people approach losing differently. They don’t try to brush failure under the rug. They don’t run away from their losses. Their attitude is never ‘Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.’ Instead they think, ‘Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.’ They understand that life’s greatest lessons are gained from our losses—if we approach them the right way.”
I just finished reading Maxwell’s newest book. As usual, his book is simple, straightforward, and filled with quality, relevant content on which to think, dwell and act. Many of the concepts are reminders from other quality learning that successful people have engaged in over the years. But never forget, we become what we think about! Reminders of critical concepts and realities are essential throughout our entire lives.
Also never forget that each and every one of us know far more about what and how we should do than we actually implement or consistently apply in our personal, professional, and organizational lives.
I recommend the book. If you are serious about continued learning and achieving greater success, there is only upside from reading, thinking and acting on the concepts and wisdom contained in Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn.
