Meet Triumph and Disaster

 

At age 10, while training to play competitive tennis, I had the opportunity to visit the Wimbledon tennis courts in England. My father pointed to the sign over Center Court which read, “Meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters the same.”

He encouraged me to think beyond any impossible challenge to make I’m Possible my mantra. The words of the sign stuck with me. I did not really understand their meaning until I had to deal with winning and losing in high school tennis tournaments and other interscholastic sports.

Years later I discovered the quotation came from the poem, “If” by Rudyard Kipling. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=175772

One of the most important strategies I developed involved my outward attitude. I began to realize how it affected my opponent. I learned to judge a missed shot with an inner laugh and straight face. Positive body language worked to my advantage.

My efforts to prevent my competition from observing my frustration took a long time to establish. I had to make it authentic from the inside out. As I developed my self-confidence when losing, I realized my power over an opponent. My ability to keep in touch with I’m Possible turned many games around in my favor. I also gained strength from my opponents’ frustrations.

Never permit your opponent - whether disguised as frustration or a cranky mood - to dislodge that belief you have in yourself.

The more you discover about yourself, the more strength you will bring to all of life’s encounters in relationships or competition. Each win or loss will provide more experience for the next level of achievement.

Write your accomplishments.

How do you achieve success?

Write your feelings and frustrations. How will you overcome them?

What does failure mean in each circumstance?

Let humor become your ally. Do not look back but continue writing onward. Record all of your efforts. Writing about your life's opponents will help you learn ways to defeat them. 

Then, on a day when Triumph or Disaster arrive in your feelings and focus, read about the ways you charged beyond challenges. Build upon these skills for the future.

Live to KRE8

 

Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun. ~ George Scialabra

Three C's to consider for the imagination today - Creativity. Chaos. Control.  

Let creativity play at the meeting place of control and chaos. 

Provide a cafe setting with tables and yellow umbrellas. Let the breeze and bird song mingle with dappled sunlight.

Chaos rages by. 
        Control sips coffee and breathes in the shine of day.  
                         Where will Creativity sneak in?  

What if you gave each a name and had them interact during breakfast? 

Let your imagination play. Live to KRE8

Delve into Yourself

Have you taken time to inventory your personal characteristics? Writing to probe your personality can assist with story ideas. It also may lead to a deep understanding of  yourself. 

Write to these questions:

How would you describe yourself?  Include physical, intellectual and emotional strengths.

How would a friend or family member describe you?

How would a person who has had a disagreement with you describe you?

How have you built your personality over the years?  Did you pick and choose role models to emulate? 

Describe characteristics you wanted to add to your personality. How did you do it?

Reveal how a parent, sibling or close friend provided assistance with your intellectual and emotional development.

What are your greatest strengths?  How have they evolved over the years?

Describe three peak experiences that have stretched you. 

Have you set attainable goals?  Did you reach others you did not anticipate?

Describe a trait that burdens you. 

Which areas of your personality need the most work?

How has negative thinking or a bad attitude limited you in the past?   How did you discipline your thinking?

In a situation where you felt lost or ill-prepared, how did you manage your emotions?

When you need encouragement, what do you do?  

How do you select the people who surround you?

Have you had to let go of a relationship because it did not feel reciprocal?  Did you return to it?

How do you encourage others?

How do you hold yourself accountable?

After you have completed your responses, create a persona and respond with traits not similar to yours. When you're done, write a dialogue between you and the persona to see where it takes you.

Set the scene with a misunderstanding. Show how the personalities respond.

Let a story or poem evolve.