A Steadfast Will: Victory in Defeat

You're probably thinking that it was all nonsense, having the question in your minds "how can losing be winning? " I once have this kind of mentality but my experience in life changed my views the way that I react and reflect in every situations and events. So let's break it down, allow me to walk you through in this blog and you'll surely find the answer that you're looking for.

Badminton was the sport that I admire the most among every other sports, though I play different sports like volleyball, table tennis, basketball, chess and biking, nothing can compare the excitement and joy in playing badminton. Every time I step into the court, I always love the unexplainable feeling running all over my veins giving me the energy throughout the entire game.

I experienced a life of crests and troughs during my badminton journey. Back in elementary, I became one of the school's badminton players when I was a sixth-garder. We've been training back in those days because it is almost the municipal meet and I'll be playing in the doubles category. Sadly, me and my confidants are unable to reach the top, but still we ended up in third place acquiring the bronze medal and received acknowledgement in the campus for a job well done. Not bad for a first-timer isn't it?

When I entered high school, I'm unable to be part of the school's badminton players because my seniors are a lot way better than me. Having an insane endurance, fast reflexes, unpredictable movements, precise drop shots, powerful smashes and are able to control the entire game that I can't even keep up with. That's when I decided to start training to improve my skills in playing badminton but an unexpected event happened, the pandemic. When the pandemic struck, I was forced to be quarantined inside the house totally forgetting about the training for improvements, killing time and spending donkey hours on the phone.

When the pandemic starts to subside, face to face classes are back. But it is still in bizarre atmosphere where you need to keep your distance and school events and activities are strictly prohibited. Years passed, social interactions are allowed, I was an eleventh-grader when the school conducted a sports intramurals. I joined the badminton play-offs and managed to be one of the school's badminton players, I am an eleventh-grader during this time and it was the time that I got my first-ever badminton racket (Yonex). Yes! It was my first racket but it's not authentic because Yonex rackets are pretty expensive, it'll cost you an arm and a leg.

I started training again for the upcoming municipal meet, done a higher level of training than before improving my skills, technique and outlook over the game. Days passed by, days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, I was feeling a little bit overconfident because my co-players recognized me as the most skilled among the badminton players (Not to brag but yes! They did).
Fastforward, the municipal meet has finally come, players from different schools gather in one place to showcase their skills, talents and mastery in every competition they'll be competing in. Being too overconfident leads me to my downfall, I must say that I am really disappointed about myself, I keep on asking myself " Is it not enough? Was my best not enough? I have tried everything I could but why? Why? " But we all got into this kind of situation right? Especially when we are expecting too much, aren't we?
Yes, we might end up into this kind of situation. But the most important thing that we should apply to ourselves is how we react and reflect in times of our downfall.

Rather giving up, I choose to see it as an opportunity to grow, took inspiration from it and trained rigorously. I been training even it is raining cats and dogs, sweat and raindrops meet, not a single thought in giving up. Erasing self-doubt and steeping into the challenge once again and found resolute in the things that I love.

As the time goes by and I became a twelf-grader, municipal meet started once again. With determination in my heart I manage to smash my way up to the semifinals and won third place. I was breaming with happiness , proudly bringing the bronze medal in my hand on our way home. It was not just a bronze medal, it is the prize for my hard work and determination.

Winning and losing doesn't only apply in games, it also part of our lives. Happiness is not the only emotion we convey, sometimes we're on the top and sometimes we're on the bottom.

To answer your question, finding victory amidst in defeat is the sense of accepting our loss in the most graceful manner, bearing no hatred to oneself and no self-doubt. Just look into the brighter side, make it as your inspiration and have the resolve in your heart for the things that you love. One day, even if you lose something in life, you'll be awestruck that you find yourself improved and a better person. In that way, it is considered a victory in defeat.

You have reached this far!

Thank you for having time and I hope you found the answer that you're looking for. Cheerio!!!