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[Different]

When was the last time you thought you were really skilled in something? You’ve got tons of experience, you know all the tricks and secrets, the cards are always dealt in your favor, and you have the right mindset to crush your opponents leaving them in your dust. At this point, you’re thinking: “There’s no way in hell that I can be defeated!” It’s funny how we all consider ourselves to be the best in the world at something when we’re on a serious winning streak. But unfortunately, there’s always that one person who comes along and obliterates us. They’re just lurking around in the dark shadows somewhere waiting to rain on your parade. To them, your game is hysterical. They don’t give a damn about your feelings, man. They’re here to win. They’re not here to play around with you, especially if there’s money on the line.

It can be quite devastating because you’re not used to taking an L. You thought you were really good until they show you that you’re a baby fish swimming with blood-thirsty, savage sharks who are on a higher level than you are. The steaks are high, there’s a bunch of money on the line, and the last thing that you want to do is go home empty-handed. You see, nobody likes to lose… and I mean nobody! So when you do lose in something like poker, pool, sports, chess, or whatever it is… then you start to wonder what you did wrong.

Now you must learn to tuck your tail between your legs and accept that ass whoopin’ instead of *****in’ about it because there’s always room for you to improve. On the flip side, you just hate to see that one person coming because you know you’re in for a nightmare from hell. Famous quote from Ric Flair: “To be the man, you gotta beat the man!” So to become the GOAT, you need to destroy your kryptonite who’s better than you and everyone else. This is why 10,000 hours in the lab is incredibly momentous because you’re putting in the work to achieve larger goals.

I’ll give you guys an example of a game that I was playing on my iPhone yesterday; these people are very competitive, so it’s interesting. The name of the game app is called Blitz - Win Cash, and it’s quite simple - you create an account, follow the rules, invest real money into your account, and play games against real people to earn real money. Yesterday, I played Black Jack 21. I was on a serious winning streak until something went wrong, suddenly, and I started getting my ass handed to me by more experienced players. I was just shy of $40 (that I had accumulated during my winning streak over time) then suddenly I’m at $5… like wtf?! I’ve literally lost a lot of money playing people better than me.

Winning streaks will make you feel like you’re invincible. Nobody can defeat me, I’m the man! Well, that is until that one person (if not multiple people) comes along and obliterates you. Now your pockets are empty and you have nothing to cash out with. Even with sports, you could be playing for a specific team in the NBA or NFL, and your friends and family were betting on you with Draft Kings and you’ve let them all down. Now you have to hear it from them when you get home. It’s painful taking an L but it’s a life lesson to grow and improve your game. When it comes to that one person, you’re kryptonite… subconsciously, you’re getting irritated with them because they’re handing you L’s on a silver platter. Consciously, you’re considering thanking them for showing you a better way to improve your game.

Losing streaks will make you feel devastated because over time the message will get rooted into your brain telling you that you’re not good enough. If you’re mentally strong, you’ll overcome these adversities and have the fortitude to succeed in the future. So with Black Jack 21, yes I was pissed because a more experienced player was kicking my ass. However, I watched the footage and learned something about myself compared to him. I learned that I was jumping too far ahead and going too fast, while their game was much more methodical and slow-paced; there’s a reason why the tortoise ends up beating the hare. So guys, how do you normally bounce back from adversity when you’re on a serious losing streak?