Let Me Win

I have been seeing many posts about the Special Olympics recently, and I have always appreciated the oath that Special Olympians recite before their events: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” These words are powerful in their simplicity, and I would argue they are just as relevant to professional athletes as to those who actually say them at the Special Olympics.

We all have a desire to win. I am publishing this from a hotel room on my way to compete in the United States Power Soccer Association Founders Cup in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I am not going to this event to lose. There is an obvious admission that if we are engaged in a competition, our primary desire is to win. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win. As long as someone shows proper sportsmanship, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your best to come out on top.

That ties directly into the second part of the Oath. Notice that it does not say if I do not win. It says if I cannot. That implies an insurmountable opponent. No matter what I do, I cannot win. Sometimes I do not win in the end; it might be the result of my own performance. Perhaps I did not prepare well enough, or maybe I did not put forth 100% of my own effort. These can be reasons I do not win, but they are not reasons I cannot win.

You could run the best race of your life, and you are not going to defeat prime Usain Bolt. However, does that mean you shouldn’t try? That comes back to the final portion of the Oath. Even when I am facing an insurmountable foe, I must be brave in the attempt. That is what competition is. It is diving into a battle, aiming for victory, but understanding that it doesn’t always happen. You cannot control your opponent, but you can control the effort you put into your performance. It might lead to a victory, which we ultimately desire, and it might not. Nevertheless, we have to do what we can with what we have and see how everything works out in the long run.

As I said, I don’t believe that this statement ought to be limited to those who are competing in the Special Olympics. It serves as a valuable reminder that there are certain things we can control, while others we cannot. When we are working on anything competitive, if we want to achieve the desired outcome of victory, we have to dive in with complete effort, even though our opponent might have every advantage. Even if we feel like we already know the outcome, that does not excuse us from working hard to do the best we can. It applies in sports, business, and anywhere in between.