Win or Lose?

     When I saw how Usain Bolt behaved at the recent summer olympics, I honestly feared for his future. The olympics were the highest point in his life - and now what? All I could think of was Bruce Springsteen's song "Glory Days" (below).

     On the other hand, when Jared Connaughton took ownership of causing his Canadian team's loss of the bronze medal in the 4x100 meter run, I felt that this was the low-point in his life, but that he had what it took to mature further into a worthy human being.
     BUT, if one is exclusively focused on the hope that "if only I can have X, then I'm guaranteed happiness", then Bolt is a "winner", Connaughton a "loser", end of story. Such a rigid, goal-oriented, perfectionistic mindset aims to control life, but of course can't.
     External stuff is impossible to fully control, may not be obtainable regardless of one's efforts, loses its appeal sooner or later even when we do manage to obtain it, etc etc. So putting all of one's hopes on externals is sadly deluded.
     One's character or quality of being is the only thing that one has good control over and that can progressively grow or mature.