by Bernadette A. Sahm

You can tell a lot about a person by their responses after a win and also by their response after a loss. I enjoyed watching the Baltimore Raven’s Championship game when they played the Buffalo Bills. Although the Raven’s lost, what struck me was the good sportsmanship of the Raven’s quarterback Lamar Jackson. After this defeat that literally ended the season for the Raven’s, you could see Lamar hug and wish Josh Allen the Bill’s quarterback good luck. It seemed like he was wishing him the best as the Bill’s would then proceed to the next Championship game. I have also witnessed Lamar throw down his helmet during other games when things weren’t going his way. We all want to “win” but sometimes how we handle a “loss” is also part of the game and a part of life.

I have been struck by the “sore losers” in our politics over the past many years. Normally sane people seem to go off the deep end when their side does not win but loses. It can be difficult to witness. Seems to me that any “loss” is a time for reflection. What did I do? What could I have done? What is the lesson here that I am supposed to learn?

One of the lessons we learn as young children is about sportsmanship both when we win and when we lose. I thought Timothe’e Chalamet was wonderful playing Bob Dylan in the movie; A Complete Unknown, I thought he would win an Oscar Award, he did not. It was widely publicized that Demi Moore would win an Oscar this year. She has such a long list of noteworthy movies to her credit. She didn’t win. I can only imagine that both these actors were deeply disappointed in the outcome, however, both showed good sportsmanship in their loss.

When I was a Realtor, it was a highly competitive profession, and many seasoned successful agents often presented as though they should “win” and get all the listings. I never felt that way. I was always happy for an associate doing well, I would think to myself, good for them and now it’s one time closer to my turn.

There are so many valuable lessons to be derived when we win and again when we lose. Take the lessons and leave the rest behind. Today’s winner could very well be tomorrow’s loser. Winning is great! But I have also come to believe that things I may not have “won” on just so happened to be the ones that truly were not meant for me.

How we handle a win and how we handle a loss says a lot about us, and who we are, and I personally don’t believe that poor sportsmanship looks good on anyone. It just isn’t a good look. It is hard enough to see it in a child, but even more astonishing to witness it in an adult.

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer

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