The Second Place That Created Me ; Built by Defeat, Driven by Revenge
Every Second Place Was a Declaration of War... Most people hate losing. I don't. Losing is simple. When you lose, the result is clear. You know where you stand, you know what went wrong, and you know how much work is left to do. What I hate is second place. There is something uniquely irritating about being close enough to victory to almost touch it, only to watch someone else walk away with it. Over the years, I have realized that second place affects me differently than it affects most people. It doesn't make me sad. It doesn't make me quit. It doesn't even make me angry for very long. Instead, it creates a permanent bookmark in my memory. Years later, I may forget what I ate that morning or what clothes I wore that day, but I will remember the feeling of standing one step away from the top. People often say that you should forgive, forget, and move on. I have never been wired that way. I don't carry hatred, but I do carry memory. Every time someone underestimate...