Defeated: Demoralized and overcome by adversity; having lost confidence or hope.
Have any of you ever felt defeated? I know I have countless times in my life. Some of you may even be feeling this way right now. It’s a crushing feeling that you can’t escape and it is something we all have experienced. It leads to feelings of inadequacy and that you’re a failure. It makes you feel like you have lost the fight. But now that I have you all feeling down on yourselves, I am going to tell you that you are not defeated. You are not a failure. And you certainly have not lost the fight. Don’t ever give up! The opposite of defeat is victory and success. So how do we overcome feelings of defeat and come out victorious?
I heard a story recently that really resonated with me. A musician by the name of Oli Sykes told a story of how he came to write one of his new songs. His childhood friend, Adrien, passed away from cancer. Before he died, he said “The world’s already full enough of defeated people. I will not be one”. That quote hit me really hard. Adrian had every reason in the world to feel defeated. His body was not strong enough to fight the poisonous cells which ultimately took his fragile soul far too soon. But not even cancer was strong enough to defeat his spirit and that speaks louder than his mortal struggles ever will.
I heard this story on a day where I was feeling defeated and it has quickly become a favourite story of refusing to accept defeat. The details are not important, but my struggles were nowhere near what Adrien was faced with. I had no real reason to feel defeated and I sure as hell was not going to allow myself to play the role of victim. I determined instead that I was going to be victorious. There are many examples of people just like you and me who refused to accept defeat and eventually came out victorious.
Abraham Lincoln is now remembered as one of the greatest leaders that America had, but his life was not always that simple. When he was younger, he went to war as a captain and came back at the bottom of the totem pole at the rank of private. He started countless businesses that all failed and declared bankruptcy twice. He was even defeated in 26 campaigns he made for political office, but all those defeats did not stop him from being victorious and ultimately recognized in history as one of the most important presidents the United States of America has ever had.
Another example is J. K. Rowling. Before her phenomenal success, her life was woven with disappointment. She became severely depressed, was divorced, and had hardly a penny to her name. She was raising a child on her own, attending school, and trying to write a novel all at the same time. Harry Potter was turned down by 12 publishers. Within a span of five years, she went from nothing to one of the most successful writers of this millennium.
Did you know Beethoven’s teachers thought he was hopeless? Ludwig van Beethoven was awkward on the violin and neglected practicing as he was busy working on his own compositions. His teachers believed he would never succeed with the violin or with composing and one teacher even went as far as telling his parents he was too stupid to be a music composer. He of course became one of the most renowned composers of all time because he refused to give up on his passion.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if these and many other examples allowed defeat to consume them and keep them down? American history, novels and cinema, music and many of the technological advances that we currently rely on would all not be what they are today. Adrien’s legend and the power of his example would never be heard by the world if he had simply given up and let his disease take control of his attitude. What if there is something you have to offer the world or even those in your sphere of influence, something incredible you could be remembered for, and you kept it from becoming a reality because you allowed defeat to win. It’s not worth it! Staying down for too long doesn’t do you or anyone else any good. We will all face disappointment in life, but the important thing is to get back up and try again. Imagine , if we just kept fighting, the things we could all accomplish together that could change the course of the future for better. The world needs your passion and purpose, but more importantly, you deserve to live your passion and purpose every single day!
It all starts with changing your mindset. You deserve the best that life has to offer but it won’t come about unless you work hard and don’t give up! Get up, show up, give it your best effort, and keep trying every single day! You have the power to decide which outcome you will choose. As for me, I choose victory. Do not allow defeat to keep you from your potential. You have so much to offer and the world needs your victorious, confident soul to shine. YOU deserve to choose victory!