“Be grateful when you win and gracious when you lose”

I have the good fortune to work with a magnificent colleague who is not only a seasoned salesman, but a creative genius who is a heck of a fun guy to work with. We were catching up over some coffee discussing all of the deals we were working on for the week in our traditional P.O. Friday fashion (P.O. stands for purchase order, which when received, means you won a deal and David has a knack for closing deals on Fridays) and I asked him about one deal in particular which happens to be the largest deal (when it closes) the company has ever worked on. I asked him what he thought the likelihood of closing a high profile deal was and I also asked him how he stayed so cool and calm with regards to this project. His response was one of great depth and wisdom: “be grateful when you win and gracious when you lose.” That’s when I stopped and took out my pen and paper.

David speaks to the power of indifference, but not in a traditional sense. In his mind, whether he wins or loses the deal, he has an automatic response in his quiver: one of gratefulness or one of graciousness.  Throughout his years in sales, David has learned to be neither great nor small, neither high nor low. He has mastered the art of contentment in all situations. David’s actions remind me of the following bible verse:

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Even though the context of this story is one of business and sales, the profoundness of being grateful or gracious no matter the outcome is powerful. There is a trustworthy steadfastness that is emitted when one has resigned oneself to contentment regardless of the outcome. Life is a product of your state of mind, not your circumstances. Therefore, find contentment where you are right now and observe the strength and power at your fingertips.