I have been involved in pageantry for approxmiately 5 years. Pageant coaches including my self train their contestants on just about every aspect of the competition. They are are coached on walk, talk, stance, ettiquette, current events, hair, makeup, attire, smiling, platform developing, among a whole slew other topics. However, I never really hear about pageant coaches focusing one of the most important topics that there is in a pageant competition, learning how to win with grace and to lose with dignity.
The key to being a winner in anything you do is indeed to master how to win with grace and to lose with dignity.
A man once said to me "The secret to being a winner lies in your pattern of thought - your attitude. Your attitude will determine whether you are successful or not. Be careful what you are saying to yourself because you will believe what you say. Think right and you will do right. It is easier to think negatively than positively because it takes a greater effort and a stronger more secure person to be positive about things. Avoid looking for excuses, instead look for solutions."
True inner character will reveal itself by how you react after you lose. That is why you have to learn how to lose with dignity before you can learn how to win with class. Learning how to lose with dignity is far more difficult.
It is easier to be a winner when you have won and it takes more self-confidence and courage to lose with dignity. Lessons learned in a losing effort are more likely to be reinforced than those learned in a winning effort. In pageantry, young women have to realize the essence of success lies in the full out effort brought forth in competition. This effort centers on controlling what we have control over and not worrying about that which we have little or no control over.
We have control over developing, improving and perfecting physical, technical, tactical and artistic components of our performance. We have little or no control over officiating, or judging decisions, etc. For example, a pageant contestant should never lose a competition because of poor preparation. Getting your platform, outfits, talent and bodies into superior shape is what you have the most control over. Failing to prepare any of the above components is preparing for failure.
It is important to focus on putting forth a full 100 percent effort in controlling that which we have the most control over. Pageants are won before hand in the training sessions. When you step out to compete, you must know that you have prepared more than your opponent has. This being the case you will develop an attitude, in which you will refuse to lose in any conditions that you have control over. This is what I call confidence; although, be careful not to be over-confident as this could lead to detrimental results. Being confident is knowing you can lose, but thinking you will win. Being over confident is knowing and thinking you will win. Think of every competitive opportunity as a championship event, and where your opponent will challenge you to the best of your abilities.
More is not always better than less, because working harder is not better than working smarter. Working smarter means being productive by doing the right things, the right amount, and at the right time in order to improve physically, technically, tactically, and artistically.
Never worry about the outcome, focus on your performance, the lessons learned, and you will come out a winner. Remember that there lies a possibility that you can lose and still perform well.
Food for thought :Prayer Request
Lord, I will try to learn the lesson You have been teaching me all my Christian life-how to lose. The Christian life is the life of great losses. The natural man always wants to come in first; the true disciple of Jesus learns how to come in last. Look how Jesus lost. He lost the confidence of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:3); He lost many disciples (John 6:66); He lost his dignity, respect, and clothing (Matthew27:29,35); and most important, He lost his life.
But in the end we have the true victory!!!
The key to being a winner in anything you do is indeed to master how to win with grace and to lose with dignity.
A man once said to me "The secret to being a winner lies in your pattern of thought - your attitude. Your attitude will determine whether you are successful or not. Be careful what you are saying to yourself because you will believe what you say. Think right and you will do right. It is easier to think negatively than positively because it takes a greater effort and a stronger more secure person to be positive about things. Avoid looking for excuses, instead look for solutions."
True inner character will reveal itself by how you react after you lose. That is why you have to learn how to lose with dignity before you can learn how to win with class. Learning how to lose with dignity is far more difficult.
It is easier to be a winner when you have won and it takes more self-confidence and courage to lose with dignity. Lessons learned in a losing effort are more likely to be reinforced than those learned in a winning effort. In pageantry, young women have to realize the essence of success lies in the full out effort brought forth in competition. This effort centers on controlling what we have control over and not worrying about that which we have little or no control over.
We have control over developing, improving and perfecting physical, technical, tactical and artistic components of our performance. We have little or no control over officiating, or judging decisions, etc. For example, a pageant contestant should never lose a competition because of poor preparation. Getting your platform, outfits, talent and bodies into superior shape is what you have the most control over. Failing to prepare any of the above components is preparing for failure.
It is important to focus on putting forth a full 100 percent effort in controlling that which we have the most control over. Pageants are won before hand in the training sessions. When you step out to compete, you must know that you have prepared more than your opponent has. This being the case you will develop an attitude, in which you will refuse to lose in any conditions that you have control over. This is what I call confidence; although, be careful not to be over-confident as this could lead to detrimental results. Being confident is knowing you can lose, but thinking you will win. Being over confident is knowing and thinking you will win. Think of every competitive opportunity as a championship event, and where your opponent will challenge you to the best of your abilities.
More is not always better than less, because working harder is not better than working smarter. Working smarter means being productive by doing the right things, the right amount, and at the right time in order to improve physically, technically, tactically, and artistically.
Never worry about the outcome, focus on your performance, the lessons learned, and you will come out a winner. Remember that there lies a possibility that you can lose and still perform well.
Food for thought :Prayer Request
Lord, I will try to learn the lesson You have been teaching me all my Christian life-how to lose. The Christian life is the life of great losses. The natural man always wants to come in first; the true disciple of Jesus learns how to come in last. Look how Jesus lost. He lost the confidence of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:3); He lost many disciples (John 6:66); He lost his dignity, respect, and clothing (Matthew27:29,35); and most important, He lost his life.
But in the end we have the true victory!!!
