Turning defeat into a WIN 

Take the lemons in your life and open up a lemonade stand

Losing a checker or ping pong game, a race or boxing match, a board game or not winning the lottery - these are examples of when we can "suffer defeat." Friendly, healthy competition has winners and losers. It doesn't define who we are as individuals.

However, in other life situations, we allow defeat to define us: bankruptcy, divorce, fired from a job, loss of a limb, debilitating disease, even things like tragedy, retirement, incarceration, or unexpected loss of a loved one. We often file these devastating events under "defeat" and go through a period of mourning, depression, or shame. We can feel as though "life is over" or that "we're a loser" or "we'll never amount to much because of...." (fill in the blank).

If we stay too long in these things they become baggage that we carry with us into each new season of life. The compounding weight can become very cumbersome.

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