You can’t win all the time.  You either win or lose.  This is the natural mentality of many people.   It may be somewhat true in certain situations.  For instance, in sports.  One team will be called the winner and the other will be called the loser.

In many life situations, however, both sides can win.  This is one of the habits Stephen Covey shared in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”  When we shift our mindset and begin to look for ways that will benefit both parties, then both can be winners.  This is what Covey calls thinking in terms of abundance and opportunity.  There is enough for everyone – it just takes a little more effort to find it.

It’s like that familiar quote by Zig Ziglar.  “You can have everything you want in life if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”  Focus on others and not just yourself.  Helping people helps you.

Instead of trying to beat out the other person and get it all for yourself, recognize there is plenty to go around and keep your eye on what is most important.  I am not a big sports fan, but it seems to me that even the team that is not the winner of the game can experience their own win by learning from what occurred in the game and working to improve.

Lose your selfish thinking, win-lose, and your martyrdom thinking, lose-win, and look for the win-win solution.  That is when you can live . . . your life to the fullest.