LOSING GOLD

My friend, Avinash Tavares shared a tragic scene seen on a televised Talent show. A couple of kids had won the second place but there was no trace of a smile on their faces. Their parents were weeping bitterly. Avinash raised pertinent queries: Whither sense of achievement? Whither sense of gratitude towards all those who helped the kids rise to such a performance?

In an increasingly competitive world, in the quest to be better, too many of us are insisting on nothing but the best. When we frown upon even second best positions, imagine our disdain for those that come last! All this is in sync with the media catchphrase about those who win second position: ‘You don’t win silver, you lose gold’

A real sense of achievement has to flow from the satisfaction of sincere endeavours and not from the vagaries of results. The very act of taking on a challenge has to be, by itself, a cause for celebration. An attitude of gratitude is the only fair return to all those who help in different ways from guiding, training, facilitating... including those who are audience.

More important than winning is to have a winner’s attitude that comes from celebrating efforts and sportsmanship. The score should not be allowed to douse passion. Eventually, it is never about winning or losing gold... we need to be better at ensuring that every failure turns into a stepping stone to success. After all, it is only true sportsmanship and earnest efforts that wins hearts of others... and ours too!

Losing gold does not deserve despair and misery...
Let’s BE BETTER at celebrating golden efforts truly!

- Pravin K. Sabnis