| The sword tip waved within a few inches of my | | | | losing your heart, and without hurting |
| belly. I stood there, waiting, and then- | | | | anyone? |
| clang- she rushed at me, forcing me back down | | | | |
| the strip, and made the touch on me. I lost. | | | | Keys to Winning |
| | | | |
| I had beaten her easily for a few months- | | | | "And you've just won what's behind the blue |
| which is no surprise, because I used to fence | | | | door...." |
| competitively. Although she was a novice, she | | | | |
| beat me on that touch. If it wasn't | | | | Every competitive game defines how it's won. |
| completely skill (although there was that), | | | | In fencing, it's the first to five touches, |
| and it wasn't experience (I had years more | | | | which is far different than dueling, where |
| than she did), what made the difference? | | | | it's the last person left alive. Look at the |
| | | | environment of your game, and define the goal |
| She had taken to heart my advice from the | | | | so that no one needs to get hurt for you to |
| week before: play to win. | | | | achieve your win. |
| | | | |
| Play to win? Isn't that attitude for | | | | The guidebook discusses in detail how to do |
| heedless, heartless business people? | | | | heart-centered goal planning, but right now, |
| | | | take some time in your heart and see if you |
| Well, it depends on how you define 'winning.' | | | | can find a business goal that feels |
| Many of us think about winning as 'I win, you | | | | achievable, fun to work towards, and |
| lose.' But, if you go to your trusty | | | | simultaneously helps you and helps your |
| dictionary (Ever notice how often I go back | | | | customers? |
| to the dictionary? It's a treasure trove of | | | | |
| understanding and wisdom.) a different story | | | | Love's labor lost. |
| emerges. | | | | |
| | | | If you are leery about playing to win, or |
| Merriam-Webster explains the history of the | | | | have perhaps been raised to think that |
| word 'win.' It comes from Old English and Old | | | | competition or winning is 'bad' 'unlady-like' |
| High German meaning 'to struggle.' And, | | | | or some other thing, start by asking your |
| before that, probably from Sanskrit meaning | | | | heart: what will happen if I win? What kind |
| 'desire.' | | | | of assumptions does your mind hold about |
| | | | winning? Who won't like you, or reject you if |
| Desire. Yearning. Passion. Are those sounding | | | | you win? |
| a little more heart-centered to you? | | | | |
| | | | We take on all kinds of beliefs and patterns |
| I enjoy the heck out of playing to win. It's | | | | about winning based on what happened earlier |
| FUN watching my clients have breakthroughs- | | | | in life. You can start to clear some of these |
| and the results that go with them, as they | | | | beliefs by facing them, and letting yourself |
| get closer and closer to their goals. It's | | | | fully feel the emotions and stories |
| FUN watching my business accelerate and grow | | | | surrounding them. And then sitting in your |
| financially. | | | | heart and asking to see a deeper truth about |
| | | | them. |
| It's FUN to win. | | | | |
| | | | Take your time with this process. The deeper |
| Simply 'being in service' can become a little | | | | truth your heart shows you may take a little |
| mealy-mouthed after awhile. Playing to win | | | | while to surface. Let yourself be willing to |
| adds some zing. | | | | be surprised. |
| | | | |
| The deadly problem? Isolation. | | | | Winning really doesn't matter. |
| | | | |
| In fencing, it's a game. The swords have | | | | In college I was competing in the New England |
| little blunt buttons on their tips, and we | | | | championships for fencing. In my final bout, |
| wear protective clothing. I play to win, | | | | my opponent and I threw all that we had at |
| because the environment is set up so that no | | | | each other. At the final touch, I lost 4 to |
| one gets hurt. If the swords were real, I | | | | 5. |
| wouldn't want to play to win. I'd be setting | | | | |
| my sword aside, and making every effort at | | | | But, we both took off our masks in |
| peacemaking I could. | | | | astonishment- it had been magical, where we |
| | | | were both in the zone. I still remember it as |
| If the game is set-up so that no one gets | | | | my all-time favorite bout. I truly didn't |
| hurt, and that winning doesn't mean life or | | | | care whether I won or lost. But if I hadn't |
| death, then it becomes fun. Connect 'being in | | | | played to win, it wouldn't have been as |
| service' with 'playing to win,' whoo-wee boy! | | | | magical. |
| Look out there, here we come. | | | | |
| | | | Now, go out there and play to win. |
| How do you play to win in business without | | | | Compassionately. |