Eachhumanbeingisbornassomethingnew, somethingthatneverexistedbefore. Eachisbornwiththecapacitytowinatlife. Eachpersonhasauniquewayofseeing, hearing, touching, tastingandthinking. Eachhashisorherownuniquepotentials---capabilitiesandlimitations. Eachcanbeasignificant, thinking, aware, andcreativebeing---aproductiveperson, awinner.

Theword“winner” and“loser” havemanymeanings. Whenwerefertoapersonasawinner, wedonotmeanonewhomakessomeoneelselose. Tous, awinnerisonewhorespondsauthenticallybybeingcredible, trustworthy, responsive, andgenuine, bothasanindividualandasamemberofasociety.

Winnersdonotdedicatedtheirlivestoaconceptofwhattheyimaginetheyshouldbe; rather, theyarethemselvesandassuchdonotusetheirenergyputtingonaperformance, maintainingpretenceandmanipulatingothers. Theyareawarethatthereisadifferencebetweenbeinglovingandactingloving, betweenbeingstupidandactingstupid, betweenbeingknowledgeableandactingknowledgeable. Winnersdonotneedtohidebehindamask.

Winnersarenotafraidtodotheirownthinkingandtousetheirownknowledge. Theycanseparatefactsfromopinionsanddon’tpretendtohavealltheanswers. Theylistentoothers, evaluatewhattheysay, butcometotheirownconclusions. Althoughwinnerscanadmireandrespectotherpeople, theyarenottotallydefined, demolished, bound, orawedbythem.

Winnersdonotplay“helpless”, nordotheyplaytheblaminggame. Instead, theyassumeresponsibilityfortheirownlives. Theydon’tgiveothersafalseauthorityoverthem. Winnersaretheirownbossesandknowit.

Awinner’stimingisright. Winnersrespondappropriatelytothesituation. Theirresponsesarerelatedtothemessagesentandpreservethesignificance, worth, well-being, anddignityofthepeopleinvolved. Winnersknowthatforeverythingthereisaseasonandforeveryactivityatime.

Althoughwinnerscanfreelyenjoythemselves, theycanalsopostponeenjoyment, candisciplinethemselvesinthepresenttoenhancetheirenjoymentinthefuture. Winnersarenotafraidtogoafterwhathewants, buttheydosoinproperways. Winnersdonotgettheirsecuritybycontrollingothers. Theydonotsetthemselvesuptolose.

Awinnercaresabouttheworldanditspeoples. Awinnerisnotisolatedfromthegeneralproblemsofsociety, butisconcerned, compassionate, andcommittedtoimprovingthequalityoflife. Eveninthefaceofnationalandinternationaladversity, awinner’sself-imageisnotoneofapowerlessindividual. Awinnerworkstomaketheworldabetterplace.