In 2024, we are excited to bring in the new year filled with new opportunities. Each of us is endowed with many different opportunities to enhance our lives and an opportunity to change things that didn’t go exactly correctly in this past year. We all are thinking about a formula for success and a pathway to fulfillment.

It reminds me;

When I was a young clinical professional, I was told that in order to understand addiction and compulsive behavior, I would need to attend a meeting in the community. At first, I thought that was a ludicrous request, command, or suggestion. Why should I waste my time going to a meeting where individuals are making comments about failure, loss, and frustration of moving forward in their lives because of dramatic situations? I grew up believing that someone who had an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or anything else was not someone who had a strong constitution. I believed that the easiest thing to do to stop a negative compulsive action was to say no and move forward with your life.

However, after attending that meeting, it helped me to see beyond what was evident. In that, I realized that the Bible was right; it said,” Ephesians 6:12. The King James Version of the verse reads as follows:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. This verse is often interpreted as a reminder that our struggles are not against other people, but against the forces of evil in the world 1. It is a call to remain steadfast in the face of adversity and to remember that we are all in this together. Biblehub.com

The moment of clarity;

It was then and after hearing that Alcoholics Anonymous prayer that said, “God grant me the ability to accept the things that cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I realized at a young age that we are all struggling to grow and get better in what we do, and there are times when we have to actually lose to win. Although I was blessed and healthy and never had problems with drugs or alcohol, I began to understand and empathize with those people that were striving for recovery, to change their lives. It was a simple process but very complicated in action and implementation.

This process—going through a trial or tribulation and then coming out on the other end better, stronger, wiser, to become a more complete person—is a wonderful gift of living. Whether it’s the sports team struggling to win a championship, after losing several times then ultimately accomplishing their goal because of growth, understanding the process and learning from mistakes, they had to lose to win. Whether it’s the student who was given instructions in the books on how to do something, but once the books were taken

away, they failed numerous times, yet there was growth during that time. Whether it’s the person who is trying to lose body weight or gain muscle, the sweat, the tears that they go through day after day, working out, dieting, exercising, it’s painful but in order to grow and change, they had to go through that physical hurt to become more powerful and complete. Even the most precious metal on earth, gold, has to go through fire before its best and most valued state. So, sometimes, we must understand that taking two steps back is actually taking two steps forward to gain wisdom.

The Gift;

In 2024, I want all of my clients, my members, to adopt an attitude of ‘the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph,’ Thomas Paine and to know that it’s through the toughness of a situation, the effort, the sweat, and the tears that they can gain a sense of victory and win the battle as they proceed to win the War. Losing is not necessarily always losing. Losing is gaining strength, gaining knowledge, gaining the attitude that if I can understand the process or the system, then I can accomplish my goal by not making the same mistakes…then improve.

So, in this wonderful year of 2024, there is one thing we will learn by adopting an attitude …of yes, if you can win initially, that’s always nice. But to suffer through a challenge only to have gained a greater victory later because of the loss experienced, now you can be confident that there’s going to be something wonderful that will always rise up like a beautiful rose from any adversity. John Kennedy said in 1961, ‘I do not shrink from this responsibility, but I welcome it. Adopt an attitude of accepting your trial, your tribulations, and knowing that the answer will be revealed to you later. It is true, now you have a frame of reference, knowing that one may have to accept the fact that they must or they had to walk through the hot coals in a troubled situation to grow in wisdom.

The Win!!

The answer in the future will be… you’ve made it through more difficult times, more difficult situations, and you have grown, survived, and you’ve come out smarter, wiser, a better person for the effort and you will survive this loss and look to the impending victory.

You now understand why you had to Lose to Win.

a young clinical professional, I was told that in order to understand addiction and compulsive behavior, I would need to attend a meeting in the community. At first, I thought that was a ludicrous request, command, or suggestion. Why should I waste my time going to a meeting where individuals are making comments about failure, loss, and frustration of moving forward in their lives because of dramatic situations? I grew up believing that someone who had an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or anything else was not someone who had a strong constitution. The easiest thing to do is to say no and move forward with your life. However, after attending that meeting, it helped me to see beyond what was evident. In that, the Bible was right; it said our battle is not against flesh and blood, it’s against dark places, principalities, and things that we cannot see. It was then and after hearing that Alcoholics Anonymous prayer, that said, “God grant me the ability to accept the things that cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I realized at a young age that we are all struggling to grow and get better in what we do, and there are times when we have to actually lose to win. Although I was blessed., and healthy? And well, and never had a problems with drugs or alcohol. I began to understand. And empathize with those. People that were striving for recovery. To change their lives. It sounds like a simple process that is very complicated. This process—going through a trial or tribulation and then coming out on the other end better, stronger, wiser, to become a more complete person—is a wonderful gift of living. Whether it’s the sports team struggling to win a championship, lost 11 times but ultimately accomplished their goal because of growth and understanding the process and learning from mistakes, they had to lose to win. Whether it’s the student who was given instructions in the books on how to do something, but once the books were taken away, they failed numerous times, yet there was growth during that time. Whether it’s the person who is trying to lose body weight or gain muscle, the sweat and the tears that they go through day after day, working out, dieting, exercising, it’s painful. But in order to grow and change, they have to go through that fire, they have to walk through it. Even the most precious metal on earth, gold. Has to go through fire before within its best and most valued state. So, sometimes, we must understand that taking two steps back is actually taking two steps forward.