When I was a kid, I practiced karate for a few years. I focused on kata, basically a choreography of martial arts movements. Like most Japanese art forms, precision, control, and accuracy are key to a great kata performance.
One year I participated in a kata competition. My body was tense that day. The moves were not smooth. I lost balance on one of the turns. The punches and kicks lacked measured strength.
I came in second. I was devastated.
“If you are number one, you may not have won. But if you are number two, you have for sure lost.” I said, in tears, as my mom came to comfort me.
My mom then kindly said, “Isn’t it good to lose sometimes? Others get to feel happy. And you get to learn what you need to work on next time.”