For myself, losing is not coming second. It's getting out of the water knowing you could have done better. For myself, I have won every race I've been in
Interpretation
True success comes from self-reflection and improvement rather than just winning.
In this quote, Ian Thorpe expresses that for him, losing is not merely about finishing in second place but rather about the disappointment of knowing that he could have performed better. This perspective emphasizes personal growth and the importance of self-evaluation, suggesting that the greatest victories are those in which one strives for their best potential, regardless of external results.
In practice
During a motivational speech, someone can share this quote to encourage athletes to focus on their personal journey rather than just the outcome.
When I go out and race, I'm not trying to beat opponents, I'm trying to beat what I have done ... to beat myself, basically. People find that hard to believe because we've had such a bias to always strive to win things. If you win something and you haven't put everything into it, you haven't actually achieved anything at all. When you've had to work hard for something and you've got the best you can out of yourself on that given day, that's where you get satisfaction from.
The only thing is I am a little bit ashamed of is I didn't come out earlier, that I didn't have the strength to do it, the courage to break that lie. But everyone goes on their own path to do this, and I don't want the struggle to be so hard for other people.
The Lean Startup isn't just about how to create a more successful entrepreneurial business, it's about what we can learn from those businesses to improve virtually everything we do. I imagine Lean Startup principles applied to government programs, to healthcare, and to solving the world's great problems. It's ultimately an answer to the question: How can we learn more quickly what works, and discard what doesn't?
I think success is being exactly who God called us to be and fighting to your death to live that out.
I think the actresses who are really successful are the ones who are comfortable in their own skins and still look human.
I retire from competition with great pride at having had a positive impact on my sport. I intend to keep training and practicing martial arts for as long as I live, and I look forward to watching the new generation of champions carry our sport into the future.
Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.
There is no secret to success except hard work and getting something indefinable which we call 'the breaks.' In order for a writer to succeed, I suggest three things - read and write - and wait.
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