What Kind Of Loser Is Your Teen?
The artist Kanye West was overcome with disappointment when he did not win an award and rushed the stage interrupting the winner making her acceptance speech. He felt he should have won. Although embarrassing for Mr. West, this offers an opportunity to teach your teen about being a good winner and even better loser.
Asking your teen some thought provoking quesitons can guide them to accepting wins and losses with grace:
1. Why do you want to enter the competition?
Winning is great validation for hard work and a job well done, but who of us doesn’t know someone that has success and didn’t work hard. Your teen must consider if they are competing only to win, or do they understand that even the process of losing teaches them about their personal limits and of what they are capable?
2. What kind of winner do you want to be?
Winning is tied to responsibility and generosity. Some successful people are known more for their philanthropy and good will than their Forbe’s List status e.g. Oprah Winfrey, Magic Johnson, George Scorros and Andre Agassi come to mind. These winners are perfect examples of how reaching out a helping hand to others makes you spiritually wealthy too.
3. What kind of loser will you be?
Throwing a tantrum after a loss only serves to hurt your teen’s reputation and ability to network within their profession. Sore losers appear entitled and selfish and this is not the type of person that others want to work with or help support.
4. How would you like to be remembered?
Although teen years are very early to think about a legacy, it’s still a question that teens should consider. If your teen’s last outburst is how other’s remember them, the negative feedback can seem insurmountable to overcome. Teaching your teen to have self-control and manage disappointment despite not getting the desired outcome, inches your teen closer to maturity and making great first impressions. This sets them on the path to success.
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