Born to Win

    Muriel James & Dorothy Jongeward

    Each human being is born as something new, something that never existed before. Each is born with the capacity to win at life. Each person has a unique way of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and thinking. Each has his or her own unique potentials1)---capabilities and limitations. Each can be a significant, thinking, aware, and creative being---a productive person, a winner.

    The words “winner” and “loser” have many meanings；When

    we refer to a person as a winner;we do not mean one who

    makes someone else lose；To us, a winner is one who responds

    authentically by being credible, trustworthy, responsive, and genuine, both as an individual and as a member of a society.

     Winners do not dedicate their lives to a concept of what they imagine they should be; rather, they are themselves and as such do not use their energy putting on a performance, maintaining pretence and manipulating others. They are aware that there is a difference between being loving and acting loving, between being stupid and acting stupid, between being knowledgeable and acting knowledgeable. Winners do not need to hide behind a mask.

    Winners are not afraid to do his own thinking and use his own knowledge. He can separate facts from opinion and doesn't pretend to have all the answers. He listens to others, evaluates what they say, but comes to his own conclusions. Although winners can admire and respect other people, there is not totally defined, demolished2), bound, or awed by them.

     Winners do not play “helpless”, nor do they play the blaming game. Instead, they assume responsibility for their own lives. They don’t give others a false authority over them. Winners are their others a false authority over them. Winners are their own bosses and know it.

     A winner’s timing is right. Winners respond appropriately to the situation. Their responses are related to the message sent and preserve the significance, worth, well-being, and dignity of the people involved. Winners know that for everything there is a season and for every activity a time.

    Although winners can freely enjoy themselves, they can also postpone enjoyment, can discipline himself in the present to enhance his enjoyment in the future. A winner is not afraid to go after what he wants but does so in appropriate ways. Winners are not afraid to go after what he wants, but they do so in proper

    ways. Winners do not get their security by controlling others. They do not set themselves up to lose.

    A winner cares about the world and its people. A winner is not isolated from the general problems of society, but is concerned, compassionate3) and committed to improving the quality of life. Even in the face of national and international adversity, a winner’s self-image is not one of a powerless

    individual. A winner works to make the world a better place.