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Who on earth likes to lose anything in life? It is such a horrible feeling, leaves you with an empty space and a lot of questions about ‘Would Have’, ‘Could Have’, ‘What If’ and so on. I am at a slight conflict as we try and deconstruct this quote because I hate this losing bit as much as you do and I am not the one who staunchly supports that. But then,

“Sometimes, it takes losing everything you thought you needed to gain everything you ever wanted”

Meaning of – Sometimes it takes losing to win

I would like to point out the focus on two words here – ‘Needed’ and ‘Wanted’ and also the prefixes to them. Although it appears to be quite a contradictory quote, as we deconstruct we do realise that sometimes losing is the only option and it is quite alright to do that. But there is a small rider here – with the knowledge of what we are going to get in return. In other words, it simply feels like a better trade for better results and outcomes and that kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?

I think what I like about this quote is the depth in which it looks at success or failure/winning or losing. In the first bit, all it means is that nothing ever comes free in life and we do need to make some sacrifices, there is nothing called free lunch and so on. And there is a clear distinction between our ‘Musts’ in life and the hopes.

Related: Creating a personal vision to know what’s most important to you

If it was left to me, at this moment, what I think I need is a nice blue BMW car, with a huge bank balance and a great farmhouse overlooking a lake where I can relax and at the same time, I want lots of work to keep me entirely busy – see how wild the imaginations can run? But perhaps the only reason I don’t have it yet might be because it is not a ‘Must’. It is something I would really like to have.

Identifying what your wins and losses are – Expectation Management

But at the same time, knowing what we are and what we want in the long run is a point of matter. I think we all make sacrifices in life. I remember sacrificing my volley ball sessions for the exams, I remember sacrificing the exams for a date and I remember sacrificing a date for my work and I remember sacrificing my work to read a novel. Strange the number of sacrifices we do right? Humour aside, I think where we are in the mental state is something that is going to matter a lot in the long run.

The quest for success or the search for meaning for a purpose of our lives is a beautiful thing and nothing even comes close to that experience in life. And yes to get there, we do need a few sacrifices, we do need a little bit of losing to do.

Sometimes we don’t need every little thing we imagined, sometimes all we need is a direction to look at in life and a perception that can make living really worthwhile and the rest find a way. I am not suggesting that we should not pursue a larger goal. All we are saying is that

” There is this bigger picture and a smaller picture. The bigger picture is about the purpose and answers the primal and the most essential questions. The smaller one is our comfort or luxury. There is a certain point in losing/sacrificing the smaller goals for the big ones. For ultimately it is the amount of satisfaction that is going to make a lot of difference. And sometimes these little sacrifices are simply the best things that could ever happen to us”