"The contentment of winning is as temporary as the cooling dewdrops of the deserts, yet the satisfaction from succeeding is as lasting as parental ties!" 

Is there a better way than the above quote by which you could summarize the two concepts that are part and parcel of our everyday survival endeavors? Maybe yes, but let's take the above for now as our best

Quite often, the world portrays winning as the main goal in our endeavors especially where competition is involved and competition surely touches on nearly every aspect of life: from the sperm cell that fertilizes the egg that gives life through growth stages down to our place in college or employment, there was and there is competition in which others gain and others are left behind. In a way therefore, competition is inescapable, one may rightfully argue. 

However, does winning, much as it excites, bring us the permanence of satisfaction that momentarily comes along with it? 

Consider Mohammed Ali, a legendary boxer who won the world's hearts and all the luxury you could dream of but sadly completed a big chunk of his life unable to walk without being supported, why? It was a result of his dare devil determination to WIN, and win many times he did, no matter how many punches the winning subjected his head to, eventually causing his painfully saddening final days!

However, consider Nelson Mandela and the likes of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Junior, Princess Dianna, Mother Theresa and their possible likes in your community, men and women whose names and legacies you cannot miss out if you decide to study about good leadership and good people in general: Tanzanians may include Reginald Mengi in the list as a people person sadly departed! They and their likes won and win hearts till today because those who FIGHT TO WIN by all means, did WIN against them at the time be it in budoness, politics, etc but for the Mandelas and Mother Theresas, it was about SUCCEEDING in their goals which successes they fortunately achieved abundantly, successes that continue resounding their legacies long after they are gone.

What about those who WON in suppressing others, in amassing everything for themselves at the expense of others? Many lived and others still live in fear and when they leave this world, their memories depart with them. Quite often, the masses pretend to mourn them in public but deep down their honest hearts, they say "good riddance", sometimes when negative events befall them, observers who know them well say " malipo ni hapa hapa duniani" (Kiswahili equivalence for "you pay for your sins right here in your lifetime")

My loving grandmother (sure most of you too do have or had) who was born in 1918 and completed this life in 2010 used to tell young ones, 

" provided what you are doing is not criminal and what you loose to a crooked person does not kill your dream nor destroy your life, thank God, learn from it and move on, for whatever God has secured for his child never rots, it will come to pass"

 in other words, she means DO NOT let loosing dishearten you to the extent that you loose focus, no, let it teach you to adopt better ways as you work towards SUCCEEDING!

WHEN you work towards SUCCESS, loosing and or failure become just hurdles and lessons along your way to success. When you work to win, the joy is temporary and ends at the trophy reception leaving an emptiness for more and more that never ends! Does not mean is bad, like in sports and other forms of entertainment, winning is welcome, but should not be the force that controls us to the detriment of others and society!

May Your Successes Abound And Last Past This Life Like The Legacies Earlier Mentioned

IF your life is going through a tough phase now, 

IF your loses seem to come one after another

IF those around you  seem to be winning while you struggle

Should you despair? Despair is normal but within limits. Remember Mandela spent over 20 years in prison when his enemies were  WINNING in catching him and evening killing his comrades but he SUCCEEDED in bringing freedom and UNITY to a whole region of Africa. Remember Joseph, he spent like ten years in prison when his boss' wife WON in falsely lying that he attempted to rape her when it was the other way round, but he SUCCEEDED in achieving his childhood dream of nations kneeling before him when he became second to the king of Egypt, the Pharaoh!

Can you succeed in trying times when others seem to be winning, some doing so corruptly?

As seen above,

YES DEAR, IT IS POSSIBLE!