Contesting Life!

Human life is one of the most beautiful contest in our
collective known existence. Think about it this way, (see
funny pix above) the fact that you are reading this means
that you already won the most important contest you have
known....you won the right to live! :-)

Sure, there are many ways to win -- both positive and
negative. Before we go on, I would like to take a detour and
talk about the types of wins that are perceived after we are
born: there are the winning of items (eg. ContestJunkie etc) - some
priceless (eg. a sentimental item), some more expensive, some
not so. There are the winning of a relationship, a partner,
a friend. There's the winning of skills - not necessary a
technical/scientific/engineering skill but also
artistic/verbal/physical skills or a combination of both.
There's also the perennial one-angle-measurement of winning
of cash. I will talk about this cash idea in another
posting.

For now, I will return to talking about the contest of
winning. In every areas of our lives that we won...from the
most basic existence (sperm+egg) to other areas like finding
a life partner, mastery of a skill etc. Its the contest that
matters. The more positive that contest, the more long term
the result. Even in loosing a positive contest, we get to
take away the knowledge and experience of competing. Of
giving our best, up against the best the country, region and
world has to offer. There's no loss of face from loosing a
positive contest.

What do I mean? There are many contest, and many ways of
winning. When we contest positively in life, we develop/get
processes and system that can be described as
justice, fairness, equality and meritocracy etc.

When we contest negatively, and there exist many such
negative contest (eg. cheating, lying and stealing in its
various scale) which can be found in the popular newspapers,
internet news sites and even coffee-shop gossip, we will
end up with potential war/blood-shed or at the least bruised feelings.

So to win any contest, there's a need to stay in the game. A
popular analogy is about striking lottery, if you don't even
buy $2 of ticket...your chances of winning is nil. Another
analogy, If you don't open your mouth to ask a girl/boy for
a date, the chance of a relationship with this person is near
nil. My point is, if you don't take action and just "think about it",
while other people who have thought about it and grab that
chance to be in the game is closer to winning then you. :-)

So no matter what contest you like, may you have the courage
and the clarity of purpose to be a positive part of the
game.

Occasionally, just staying in the game (whatever your game may be)
can get a bit tiring. In times like this, know how to take a break and
go for something different. Could be a holiday, could be doing
something totally different, basic idea -- stretch your body and mind,
grow your capabilities and create win for all the areas in your life.