ACCEPTING DEFEAT

Accepting one’s defeat means committing to try again and regain what was lost. Facing defeat after a loss isn’t weakness; it’s the first step on the road back to victory.

If you refuse to accept defeat, you stay stuck at the point of loss, unable to move forward. But the moment you accept it, your journey of renewal begins immediately.

Accepting defeat is recognizing that you have fallen behind in the race. Refusing to accept it, on the other hand, is like pretending you’re still ahead. Someone who is actually behind but imagines themselves in front lives only in false illusion. And those who live in illusion can never succeed in this world governed by cause and effect.

Accepting defeat after losing is an act of courage. Refusing to accept it is an act of cowardice. A person should always aim to show bravery and never fall into cowardice.

In life, there are sometimes losses and victories. The truly elevated person is someone who rises above both, forming judgments unaffected by either. Those who demonstrate this higher ability are the ones who reach their destination. Those who fail remain trapped in life’s storms and never fulfill their goals.

The person who accepts defeat has, in fact, uncovered the secret of victory within defeat. Outwardly, he may lose for the moment, but inwardly—in the eternal realm of the spirit—he remains a winner. He has not let his practical defeat turn into a defeat of the mind. Conversely, the one who refuses to accept defeat makes it a source of pride. And when pride rules, one mistake inevitably leads to another. Such a person keeps on losing, with no hope of ever winning again.