Play to Win

Have you ever considered the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose? I hadn’t until today when my friend Jeremy brought it up to me. He was gently telling me that I have been playing not to lose rather than playing to win.

Do the two approaches share the same outcome? Sure. Winning. We all want to win. But the similarities stop there. Playing to win is active, enthusiastic, forward moving, decisive, risky; its big and bold!! Playing not to lose is passive, with no energy or momentum; its cautious. How many of you want to be remembered as cautious?

Playing not to lose plays defense, reacting to the moves of others rather than planning the moves and executing the plan. I work in collegiate athletics so I am more bias about this approach than most but even someone unfamiliar with athletics can see the difference in these two approaches. There is an energy, passion, and drive behind the team that is playing to win. They are the pace setters, everyone else falls in line. Their enthusiasm is contagious and it spreads throughout the stadium. You can see it on the sideline on the faces of the teammates not in the game. You can feel it on the field. The energy is visible. When was the last time you went after something with that much energy and enthusiasm? When was the last time you pursued something with such fervor that it stirred you up and you couldn’t sleep or sit still? When was the last time you took action instead of reacting to what comes to you?

Thanks to Jeremy’s comment today, I choose to play to win. I want to pursue my dreams, not wait for things to come to me. I want to live a big, bold life. Not a safe, passive life with no risk. That’s the flip side. Playing to win is risky. When you play to win you will sometimes go down in a burning ball of fire. You will be openly criticized by those who live their life watching from the sideline. I want to be in the game!! I don’t want to watch other people live their lives and criticize their choices. I want to be a difference maker.

Playing to win is risky. Are you willing to take the risk?

Published by Sunshine Jo

Hello, I am so happy you stopped by! In a world of negativity and criticism, my heart was to create a space where people can experience refreshing encouragement. Thank you for sharing in my journey.

4 thoughts on “Play to Win”

  1. Your post absolutely hit home with me. We are all too quick to make the safe choice or hold off on a decision until it’s made for us. Thank you for the reminder today! Live out loud and don’t be afraid to take a step. #BuildUp

  2. I saw an underdog football team play that way… they took that wagon wheel back to NM. Not funny I know I love my Buffs.

    Hopefully you are still reading down still… what a great word, I’m glad Jeremy inspired you to share this. It is so true, coming from a cautious person. I want to play to win… We all need to have dreams, set goals and go out to accomplish them no matter the outcome.

    1. It was a heartbreaking loss!!

      I am very cautious as well, in some areas, and very bold in others. I am trying to be bold in the areas I am typically cautious. Can you imagine the world we would live in if we all went for the things we really wanted. That encourages me enough to try! Play to win my friend! You only get one chance at this 🙂

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