The Experience of Defeat

Victory is sweet but defeat is a reality. All of us always desire to be the best in anything that we do, or come out as the best in a duel. In this world of competition, the journey towards getting something that is desired is paved with lots of challenges. Everybody is in a kind of struggle for his/her own glory. The fact that one person will come out victorious, or as the best, means that another or others will inevitably lose. And there comes in the aspect of defeat.

                               " There are lots of different obstacles in your path but don't allow yourself to be one of them"_Ralph Martson

No one enters a challenge that he knows he will lose, for such will be a waste of energy, resources and pose a risk of emotional destruction, unless a lose brings about a future positive thing. Unfortunately, we do not have a say over some places that we find ourselves in and thus times will come when we find ourselves on the losing side. No matter the amount of effort we put in, they prove futile. Some say fate is against such a person.

"You can't have everything you want, But you can have the things that really matter to you"_Marissa Mayer

Many times I have found myself pondering over the experience of losing in a great competition; with my small defeats giving a little insight into the feeling of losing. One such incidence is the just concluded world cup whereby Argentina lost their chance of lifting the world cup to Germany. The pain is greatest when victory was more than assured and the greatest fight put in. The loss therefore, has in it some broken expectations which have immense effect on an individual. The melancholic state of the Argentine players led by Lionel Messi clearly exposed the kind of emotional turmoil inside them, which was felt worldwide, even by me.

One other case of losing is that of Hon. Raila Odinga. Twice he has come close to being the president of Kenya but in one way or the other could not become one. How does it feel to pursue a dream so ardently, come close to the dream not once but twice and see it being taken away? Especially when the time is dwindling and the opportunity for another attempt is near impossible. The humongous efforts put in place over decades over the dream but seeing the dream not being achieved.

One of the sources of satisfaction, joy and happiness is the achievement of a dream. In such a case of seemingly never going to achieve it, do you put the blame on fate? Are there some things that we were never meant to have despite our real desire for them? How can one come to terms with such a reality? Crying over such and seeking refuge somewhere away from it is surely justified. A failure can always be dealt with, after putting in your best but failing justly means somebody was simply better off. But losing in unclear circumstances can be very painful.

Have you ever been in such a state? The time you and many others expected you to get something but you failed to. The time when you have put your plans on the new life, but the results show that it will not come to be. When the thing sought was something that would lead to a better life. Loss therefore meaning a continuation of the life you wanted to leave behind. It can really be traumatizing. And the nasty thing is that lose will often be a thing of the public. Defeat is one thing that lurks in the shadows always ready to pounce and the instances are many. Be prepared for it and do not let it lose your live. Just know that it is part of life. Happy tackling of your defeats.

Something that you’ve got to do,
 

And something to know,