When is losing really gaining?

This week on TV’s Biggest Loser, Jeremy Britt won the prize of $250,000 for losing the most weight.  At 22 years old, he weighed close to 400 lbs., and in 7 months he lost 199 lbs.  Whew! So I pondered: When in our lives do we experience losing?   So here are some of my jottings . . .

           We lose: a game, confidence, a job, a reputation, a friend, a relationship, our hearing, weight, our health, our temper, control, a house, property, faith, memory, sight, interest, charm, enthusiasm, our phone, our glasses, our keys, time, and our life.

So then I also pondered: When in our lives do we experience gaining?  Here are my jottings . . .

            We gain: perspective, insight, employment, a foothold, supporters, friends, freedom, acceptance, the upper hand, control, confidence, the advantage, status, citizenship, and ground.

So we can say that Jeremy’s losing brought him the gain of money and much more, which can be considered a priceless reward.  Through his efforts at trying to win, he eventually lost interest and momentum and was eliminated from the show.  After being invited to return, no doubt, this rejection played a significant twist in which he gained insight into his truest Self.  Jeremy had to confront his “inner demons” that were “eating him” alive!  His challenge was to discover the gift of who Jeremy really is, rather than who Jeremy thought he should be (idealized Self) or who he thought others thought he should be.

So what does this have to do with discernment?  Everything!

I believe that discernment is that transformative process that invites us into the narrow labyrinth of paths to find and friend our deepest and truest Self.  We then learn to lose our “baggage” of old tapes, memories, attitudes, doubts, fears, and behavior patterns that weigh us down and keep us from moving on freely into our new way of being.  We then gain perspective, insight, faith, courage, freedom, wonder, hope, joy, and peace.  Truly, losing can really be gaining!

I have always believed that one should not be scared of losing , I think that really is the key.

Imran Khan

I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by losing.

Anais Nin

Two things scare me. The first is getting hurt. But that's not nearly as scary as the second, which is losing.

Lance Armstrong