Winning Isn't Always The Answer to Success

A few months ago I heard Tiger Woods say this during his recent personal and professional struggles, "Winning takes care of everything."  Oh, if that were only true. Unfortunately for him and many others that's not the case. Winning some golf tournaments, climbing competitions or even a few more arguements doesn't fix the past.

In this context winning is just another drug, a second shot of novocaine to dull the pain of what's happened in our lives. If we truly want to win, even during challenging times, we'll consider a few other healthier or more productive actions.

We'll ask forgiveness if we need to. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to be honest and simply tell those we've hurt that we're sorry for the hurt we caused them. We ask them to forgive us though they may never forget what we did. They don't have to forget.

We'll make necessary changes. Come hell or high water we will NOT stay the same. We will bring people into our lives who will hold us accountable, remove actions and temptations that plague us every day and substitute new behaviors and thinking for the old. When we own our mistakes and actions everything does being to change.

We'll look deeply at what got us or our relationships into trouble in the first place. It's not easy to look deep inside and see things that are out of line, thinking that is skewed or attitudes that need adjustments.  But that's the place we must go if we are to find any tumors that have caused us to be where we are.

We'll apply our faith to it all. God is all about second and third and fourth chances. And while there may always be consequences we will have to live with, God wants to forgive us and offer us a new start. That's where our faith really gets tested and grows.  Sometimes I think God allows us to go through challenges and face mountains just so we will grow in ways we would not otherwise.

No, winning doesn't change everything. It's our hard work and desire to grow from the past that does.  Start now.