The Key to Coping with Loss and Failure

As I sit here in this airport cafe’ drinking my coffee and waiting to continue toward the next chapter of my Jiu Jitsu adventure, I can’t help but dwell on the outcome of my last two grappling tournaments.

I have had to face the adversity of competing against much more experienced grapplers than I, and have yet to walk away with a win. Regardless of the circumstances, this is still extremely frustrating.

First you have to understand the type of sacrifice I have made just to be able to compete at this level, let alone come up with travel and competition expenses.

I’ve spent countless hours that often go late into the night, practicing, drilling, and studying competition footage. I’ve undergone injury after injury, with little time between training sessions for recovery. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on membership fees and seminars to acquire the knowledge and technique to be a better grappler.

Despite all of the challenges… I have absolutely, NO regrets!

I have no regrets for my adversities in competition, or in life for that matter, because I keep a very specific “mindset”, and “attitude”.

As I said in the beginning of this article, I can’t help but dwell on my losses, but not because I feel bad about them, but because I am OBSESSED ON LEARNING FROM THEM.

I understand that every loss I endure is (for the most part) due to a mistake that I myself have made, which will always present an opportunity for improvement. I keep the mindset that I must accept responsibility for the only thing that I can control, which is myself. Holding on to this idea, paired with a positive mental attitude, will give you the ability to spin any negativity in your life into a positive.

So remember, every dark cloud may have a silver lining, but every silver lining is an indication that there’s a golden sun on the other side. Meaning if you keep a positive mental attitude and keep pushing forward, success is inevitable so there’s no need to dwell on loss or failure.