The Traits of Winners

CEBU, Philippines - Every human being is fundamentally a pleasure seeker. People share a common craving for great tasting food, for the best comforts, for looking good and feeling good. Everyone has an inner hankering to be acknowledged, to be praised.

In fact, it’s these things that motivate one to get up from bed in the morning and keep moving until he or she is tired enough and retire in the evening. It’s the pursuit of happiness. Some people attain it, others not. But what is the difference between the winners and the losers? Is there something that winners do differently?

Or do successful people possess personal traits that set them apart? Human resource expert and life coach Katia Tripod, in an article at www.upwithlifecoaching.com, observes four common traits among successful people.

They have a fighting spirit. And this vibe is highly charged with positive energy. They remain optimistic in difficult situations. Setbacks are seen as delays, not as the end of the journey. They see problems as being part of life and accept these with curiosity and interest.  

Successful people believe that each problem already contains the seed of its solution. They choose faith versus fear. They view a problem as only a situation with a negative spin to it.

The thoughts that people focus the most on ultimately prevail. These will color one’s outer world and affect his reality.

A very good example of turning difficulties into a great opportunity is the one of Walt Disney. The story says that he was flat broke after the failure of his animation company in Kansas City. Disney moved to California to look for a job, but he could not find one. He did not give up and, instead, started a new film company with his brother. Their first two animation films were commercial disasters. Walt Disney even lost the right on the second one because of a bad business decision.

Was that the end of Disney? Well, it could have been, but Walt did not give up. While on a four-day train journey, the squeaky noise of the train inspired him to draw a new cartoon based on a family of mice. Mickey Mouse was born. The Disney company then began to soar!

A person needs to think like a winner to become one.

They trust themselves. Self-confidence is actually the key to unlock a winning personality. It is fed by faith in one’s own capacity and trust that is learned through many actual life experiences. Courage, self-awareness, knowledge, experience, resourcefulness are part of the package.

One trusts what one knows. Therefore, knowing oneself allows a person to tap into all the resources he has and even push the curiosity to discover new ones, in any situation that life presents him with. He enjoys the experience, as it is what makes him grow.

They are resourceful. Winners believe they have all the necessary resources in them. They trust that they can learn what they need and adapt to any changes that come their way. In order to look at a problem for what it is, some distance is required. What is the problem really about? What solutions can be applied? It is the right time to think and be creative.

They don’t look at a problem through a magnifying glass; they break it down into small, manageable pieces and analyze each piece. Winners stay calm so they can hear their thoughts. They remove the emotional chaos caused by any fear and focus on the belief that a solution exists.

Winners adopt the Zen philosophy that, “If the problem has a solution, worrying is pointless, in the end the problem will be solved. If the problem has no solution, there is no reason to worry, because it can’t be solved.”

They are perseverant. Successful people pursue their goal relentlessly. Their fighting spirit is their burning fire. They rest only once they have reached their goal.

Perseverance is about discipline and discipline is a call for organized actions. And so winners keep on going, no matter the obstacles they meet. When things go wrong, they focus back on their target and motivate themselves to pursue their quest for success.

They are not quitters. They know too well that “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.”

In the words of Vince Lombardi: “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” 

While those four traits may not really guarantee to get one to the apex of success, they certainly get one on the way up. Those winning traits, thus, are worth developing in oneself. Those are paddles to aid in one’s journey towards his dreams. (FREEMAN)