Three Ways to Respond to An L
Yesterday, someone stole my wallet, phone, and keys while playing pickup basketball. In addition, my girlfriend's sweatshirt and bag she gave me.
I was in shock, and I have been bumming for the last 24 hours. But, everyone loses in life, and it matters how we respond.
Think about the teams down by a lot at halftime but still manage to climb their way back. Or the entrepreneurs who have their back against the wall and continue moving forward.
Obstacles and losses are going to happen to all of us in life. How we respond is what matters.
1. Control What You Can Control
The first question to ask ourselves is can we control what is happening to us or what happened in the past? If the answer is no, then we need to ask another question.
What can we control then? For me, all I can control is being thankful no one got hurt. Then do my best to cancel my cards, replace my phone and keys.
For sports teams who are down by 20 at halftime. Control one play and possession at a time. Can you control how the ref will act in the fourth quarter if you're in the third quarter? Nope, then let it go.
2. Learn From It
Will I ever leave my stuff on the park bench again unattended by people I have a personal relationship with? No, no, I will not. It is a lesson for me to learn about the responsibility of taking care of my personal belongings in a public place.
For sports teams being down by 20 at halftime, they can ask themselves, "what's not working?" Then make adjustments.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.” -Albert Einstein.
We all lose in life. Are we going to get back up and try the same move? Or are we going to learn from it?
3. Let it Go
If we let our past mistakes linger in our minds, then we are wasting valuable time at the moment. Instead of spending time in the past, we can control what we can control and learn how to move forward better.
There's a saying in basketball, "the best shooters have short-term memories." If I miss three shots in a row, will I let it affect my next one? It would be easy.
But if I don't let go of the past plays, how can I move forward? Do I want to spend all my time thinking that if I put my phone, wallet, and keys, they would still be in my possession? No, waste of time. I will do it differently the next I play pickup.
