Defeat is a very strong word, one that can evoke strong emotions and feelings. Whether we view defeat as a negative or positive thing depends on our perspective. It also depends on some other factors like state of mind, background, and experiences. Some may see it as a setback, while others may see it as a catalyst for growth and progress. The optimists see defeat in a positive light; they see it as a catalyst for growth, progress, and learning. The pessimists on the other view defeat from a shallow and darker realm. While defeat may be a strong word, it does not necessarily have to be something negative. Our mistakes and failures do not define us, we define ourselves. We can choose to rise above it and become stronger, smarter, and wiser, or we might choose to allow it to get to us, defeat, and weaken us. In the end, it all comes down to how we choose to approach defeat.
One of the reasons I respect Cristiano Ronaldo is because he’s an optimistic person who fights his failures instead of allowing them to weigh him down. Cristiano Ronaldo is my role model. I have been a fan of his since I was a kid. He's not only a great footballer, but his lifestyle is also worth emulating. Ronaldo doesn't let his failures get to him. Even when others give up on him, he stands strong and proves them wrong. This is one of the reasons why he is loved by a lot of people worldwide.
There's no doubt that defeat can be a painful experience. We are humans. It is our nature to always want to succeed. We often feel bad when we experience defeat. Who wouldn't want to succeed? In this post, I'll write about a time when I felt defeated.
A TIME I EXPERIENCED DEFEAT
This happened during my high school days. I've always been a big fan of chess. It's the only indoor game I enjoy playing. I attended a Catholic high school. In my school, we had a tradition of inter-school competitions, where various schools would compete against each other in a variety of games; football, volleyball, tennis, chess, Ludo, Scrabble, and so on. These competitions fostered healthy competition. Plus, they were so much fun. Those were the good old days.
I was on the school football team, and I also represented the chess club. It was hard for me to sacrifice one for the other. Instead of sacrificing chess for football or vice versa, I decided to balance both. I couldn't afford to miss out on any of them. Luckily, the practice period for these games never clashed. As the best chess player in my school, I represented them in all competitions.
An inter-school competition was hosted by the bishop of the diocese who happens to be the head of all Catholic schools in my state. Everyone was hyped about it. As usual, we started practicing every day. We practiced till we got better. I had a chess set at home which I used to practice. I also practiced with my elder brother. On the first day of the competition, I played against 3 opponents from different schools. To my greatest joy, I won all the games. The next round was hot. It was really intense because the weak players had been eliminated. Although I made lots of blunders in the round, I managed to qualify for the next round. Unfortunately, the school football team had been eliminated, so I focused on chess. I played my games well and got to the final.
As I expected, a very strong player made it to the strongest. I had rumors about him that he had never lost a game in the inter-school competitions. We had enough break to prepare for the final game. I was determined to beat him. I remember how I spent hours practicing- learning new strategies and deadly moves. I invested so much time into it.
THE D-DAY
Lo and behold the D-day came knocking on my door. My opponent was a huge, dark-skinned, and muscular guy. “This is my opponent, my nemesis” I whispered to myself when our eyes met. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I arranged the pieces on the board. “You can start now,” one of the judges said. The opening he used wasn't special at all. In fact, I was familiar with it. He blundered and I used it to my advantage. He started sweating profusely. He knew he was about to lose. He was sad and I could see it in his eyes. Everything was going well until I blundered my Queen (the most powerful piece in chess.) He forked my Queen and King with his Knight.
I looked at his face and saw him smiling. His grin was wide and devilish, stretching from ear to ear. 'You cunning devil,' I whispered to myself. I could feel my blood boiling, and my fists were clenched tight like that of Muhammad Ali during his prime. “Checkmate,” he said. I lost the game. At that point, I felt like crying, but I managed to stand strong.
DID IT MAKE ME SAD?
Although I won the silver medal, losing to that guy made me really sad. I would have won gold if I hadn't blundered my queen. Did it make me stop playing chess? Definitely not! I realized that instead of sulking about defeat, the best thing to do is to come back stronger. Defeat can be hard to take in. It is okay to cry, but don’t sulk for long, stand up and get back stronger.
Today, after so many years, I still make blunders, but I did not give up on chess and I can proudly say that I am a better chess player.
In conclusion, although defeat is a strong word, it can be a positive thing. It depends on our perspective and how we choose to approach it!
Note: ALL IMAGES IN THIS POST ARE MINE!
Thanks for reading.