“
The wish of death had been palpably hanging over this otherwise idyllic paradise for a good many years.
All business and politics is personal in the Philippines.
If it wasn't for the cheap beer and lovely girls one of us would spend an hour in this dump.
They [Jehovah's Witnesses] get some kind of frequent flyer points for each person who signs on.
I'm not lazy. I'm just motivationally challenged.
I'm not fat. I just have lots of stored energy.
You don't get it do you? What people think of you matters more than the reality. Marilyn.
Despite standing firm at the final hurdle Marilyn was always ready to run the race.
After answering the question the woman bent down behind the stand out of sight of all, and crossed herself.
It is amazing what you can learn in prison. Merely through casual conversation Rick had acquired the fundamentals of embezzlement, fraud and armed hold up.
He wondered at the price of honesty in a grey world whose half tones changed faster than the weather.
The banality of truth somehow always surprises the news media before they tart it up.
You've ridden jeepneys in peak hour. Where else can you feel up a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl without even trying? [Ralph Winton on the Philippines finer points]
Life has no bottom. No matter how bad things are or how far one has sunk things can always get worse.
You could call the Oval Office an information rain shadow.
In the Philippines, a whole layer of criminals exists who consider that it is their right to rob you unhindered. If you thwart their wicked desires, to their way of thinking you have stolen from them and are evil.
There's honest and dishonest corruption in this country.
Don't enjoy it too much for it's what we love that usually kills us.
The good guys don't always win wars but the winners always make sure that they go down in history as the good guys.
The Philippines is like a woman. You love her and hate her at the same time.
I never believed in all my born days that ideas of truth and justice were only pretty words to brighten a much darker and more ubiquitous reality.
The girl was experiencing the first flushes of love while Rick was at least feeling the methadone equivalent.
Although selfishness and greed are more ephemeral than the real values of life their effects on the world often outlive their origins.
Miriam's a meteor job. Somewhere out there in space there must be a meteor with her name on it.
Tsismis or rumours grow in this land like tropical weeds.
Surprises are so common here that nothing is surprising.
A crooked leader who can lead is better than a crooked one who can't.
Although I always followed the politics of Hitler I emulate the drinking habits of Churchill.
It [Australia] is the country that does the least with the most.
Rereading the brief lines that told the story in the manner of Fox News reporting the death of a leftist Rick's dark imagination took hold.
Didn't your mother ever tell you never to trust a man who doesn't drink?
She must have been around twenty years old, was tall for a Filipina and possessed long black hair framing her smooth olive face. This specter of loveliness walked with the assurance of the knowingly beautiful. Her crisp and starched white uniform dazzled in the late-afternoon light and highlighted the natural tan of her skin. Everything about her was in perfect order. In short, she was dressed up like a pox doctor’s clerk. Suddenly, she stopped, turned her head to one side and spat comprehensively into the street. The tiny putrescent puddle contrasted strongly with the studied aplomb of its all-too-recent owner, suggesting all manner of disease and decay.
”
”
John Richard Spencer
“
Success in life is not for those who run fast, but for those who keep running and always on the move.
”
”
Bangambiki Habyarimana (Pearls Of Eternity)
“
Sometimes in life you don't always feel like a winner, but that doesn't mean you're not a winner.
”
”
Lady Gaga (Lady Gaga - Born This Way Piano, Vocal and Guitar Chords)
“
We love winners, even though they’re very rarely particularly likeable people. They’re almost always obsessive and selfish and inconsiderate. That doesn’t matter. We forgive them. We like them while they’re winning.
”
”
Fredrik Backman (Beartown (Beartown, #1))
“
Losers, like autodidacts, always know much more than winners. If you want to win, you need to know just one thing and not to waste your time on anything else: the pleasures of erudition are reserved for losers. The more a person knows, the more things have gone wrong.
”
”
Umberto Eco (Numero Zero)
“
Faith has won it! Fear has lost it! When you get full of faith, the devil gets filled with fear! Keep your faith in light every day and you will keep the devil in fright always!
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (The Great Hand Book of Quotes)
“
Don’t be disappointed, the winning side is not always the right one.
”
”
M.F. Moonzajer
“
In the game of life;
Sometimes we win,
Sometimes we loss,
Either ways, we should always keep playing.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
I’m a winner because I always bet on you.
”
”
Kamand Kojouri
“
The way into the hall of success always passes through the chamber of decision. Decide to be a success; success is deliberate!
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (The Great Hand Book of Quotes)
“
Magic always happens when you direct your inner powers to the object you want to change.
”
”
Bangambiki Habyarimana (Pearls Of Eternity)
“
Everyone knows history is written by the winners, but that cliche misses a crucial detail: Over time, the winners are always the progressives. Conservatism can only win in the short term, because society cannot stop evolving (and social evolution inevitably dovetails with the agenda of those who see change as an abstract positive). It might take seventy years, but it always happens eventually. Serious historians are, almost without exception, self-styled progressives. Radical views--even the awful ones--improve with age.
”
”
Chuck Klosterman (I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling With Villains (Real and Imagined))
“
Everything is possible, and yet nothing is. All is permitted, and yet again, nothing. No matter which way we go, it is no better than any other. It is all the same whether you achieve something or not, have faith or not, just as it is all the same whether you cry or remain silent. There is an explanation for everything, and yet there is none. Everything is both real and unreal, normal and absurd, splendid and insipid. There is nothing worth more than anything else, nor any idea better than any other. Why grow sad from one’s sadness and delight in one’s joy? What does it matter whether our tears come from pleasure or pain? Love your unhappiness and hate your happiness, mix everything up, scramble it all! Be a snowflake dancing in the air, a flower floating downstream! Have courage when you don’t need to, and be a coward when you must be brave! Who knows? You may still be a winner! And if you lose, does it really matter? Is there anything to win in this world? All gain is a loss, and all loss is a gain. Why always expect a definite stance, clear ideas, meaningful words? I feel as if I should spout fire in response to all the questions which were ever put, or not put, to me.
”
”
Emil M. Cioran (On the Heights of Despair)
“
Life is nothing in itself. It’s a place marker that proves who’s winning, and we are the winners. We are always the winners. There is nothing but the winning. Even winning means nothing. We win because it’s an insult to lose. The ends don’t justify the means. The means don’t justify the ends. There is no one to justify to. There is no justice.” ~ Durzo Blint
”
”
Brent Weeks (Shadow's Edge (Night Angel, #2))
“
Passionate people are always ready to stand for their dreams even if no one stand with them. They vote and vote alone for their dreams but never loss their nomination for excellent leadership!
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (The Great Hand Book of Quotes)
“
That pain you feel," Master Blint said almost gently, "is the pain of abandoning a delusion. The delusion is meaning, Kylar. There is no higher purpose. There are no gods. No arbiters of right and wrong. I don't ask you to like reality. I only ask you to be strong enough to face it. There is nothing beyond this. There is only the perfection we attain by becoming weapons, as strong and merciless as a sword. There is no essential good in living. Life is nothing in itself. It's a place marker that proves who's winning, and we are the winners. We are always the winners. There is nothing by the winning. Even winning means nothing. We win because it's an insult to lose. The ends don't justify the means. The means don't justify the ends. There is no one to justify to. There is no justification.
”
”
Brent Weeks (The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, #1))
“
Dostoevsky was writing about losers. The main character of The Iliad, Hector, is a loser. It’s very boring to talk about winners. The real literature always talks about losers. Madame Bovary is a loser. Julien Sorel is a loser. I am doing only the same job. Losers are more fascinating. Winners are stupid … because usually they win by chance
”
”
Umberto Eco
“
What is life?
Life is living in this moment,
experiencing and experimenting
but experience isn’t life.
Life is reflecting and meditating
but reflection isn’t life.
Life is helping and guiding
but philanthropy isn’t life.
Life is eating and drinking
but food isn’t life.
Life is reading and dancing
but art isn’t life.
Life is kissing and pleasuring
but sex isn’t life.
Life is winning and losing
but competition isn’t life.
Life is loving and caring
but love isn’t life.
Life is birthing and nurturing
but children aren’t life.
Life is letting go and surrendering
but death isn’t life.
Life is all these things
but all these things aren’t life.
Life is
always more.
”
”
Kamand Kojouri
“
People say life is short, but it's not. It's long, so damn long – ye can't help but make a mess of it. ‘Tis like roulette. You sit at that table for an hour, you might just come away a winner. You sit there long enough, and the house always wins.
”
”
Caimh McDonnell (The Day That Never Comes (Dublin Trilogy publication order, #2; Dublin Trilogy chronological order, #7))
“
She taught me that it is not enough to just be better than everyone else. You have to be so much better that no one can deny your superiority. You have to realize that the judges are not always going to give the win to you. You have to win so clearly that they have no choice but to declare you the winner. You have to be able to win every match twice on your worst day.
”
”
Ronda Rousey (My Fight / Your Fight)
“
For people with a winner mentality, there’s a positive waiting for you no matter the outcome. For those with a loser mentality, if there’s a negative outcome anywhere along the way, you perceive that you’ve lost. That’s why I always say winning and losing isn’t an event; it’s a mind-set.
”
”
Chip Gaines (Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff)
“
Winners recognize that even when they aren’t physically selling a product, they are always selling themselves. Every human interaction is an opportunity to connect—and then to sell.
”
”
Frank Luntz (Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary)
“
Don’t just exist; do something meaningful with your life. Discover a problem and fix it.
Don’t just fit in; make it a point to brighten your corner. Decide to resolve your challenges.
Don’t just manage; go extra mile and win your race. Never give up the fight. You will win.
Don’t just be able; always make sure you are available. Be present to make a change.
Don’t just be alive; once you have arrived, find the reason why and make that reason accomplished.
Don’t just wish; be passionate about what you wish to see happen. Rise up and make it happen.
Don’t just create; create to change; change to improve; improve to increase. Aspire to inspire.
Don’t just be making a living; make a life and leave an indelible footstep wherever you step.
I want to meet you and many others on the top. Don’t be left out!
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (Become a Better You)
“
Live in the world without any idea of what is going to happen. Whether you are going to be a winner or a loser, it doesn’t matter. Death takes everything away. Whether you lose or win is immaterial. The only thing that matters, and it has always been so, is how you played the game. Did you enjoy it?—the game itself? Then each moment is a moment of joy. ALSO BY OSHO INSIGHTS FOR A NEW WAY OF LIVING SERIES Awareness: The Key to Living in Balance Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously Creativity: Unleashing the Forces Within Intimacy: Trusting Oneself and the Other Intuition: Knowing Beyond Logic Maturity: The Responsibility of Being Oneself OTHER BOOKS Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic The Book of Secrets India My Love: A Spiritual Journey Love, Freedom, and Aloneness Meditation: The First and Last Freedom
”
”
Osho (Joy: The Happiness That Comes from Within)
“
Losers, like autodidacts, always know much more than winners. If you want to win, you need to know just one thing and not waste your time on anything else: the pleasures of erudition are reserved for losers. The more a person knows, the more things have gone wrong.
”
”
Umberto Eco
“
There are always sides. There is always a winner, and a loser. For every person who gets, there's someone who must give.
”
”
Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper)
“
Those who have learned to behave as winners always end up winners.
”
”
John Patrick Hickey (On The Journey To Achievement)
“
I don’t ask you to like reality. I only ask you to be strong enough to face it. There is nothing beyond this. There is only the perfection we attain by becoming weapons, as strong and merciless as a sword. There is no essential good in living. Life is nothing in itself. It’s a place marker that proves who’s winning, and we are the winners. We are always the winners. There is nothing but the winning. Even winning means nothing. We win because it’s an insult to lose. The ends don’t justify the means. The means don’t justify the ends. There is no one to justify to. There is no justification. There is no justice.
”
”
Brent Weeks (The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, #1))
“
The winners of life's game always set and have goals in focus that they score to fulfill their purposes of existence and making the planet earth to celebrate joy; the losers make life bitter for others by tormenting their senses of joy and peace!
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (The Great Hand Book of Quotes)
“
Efficiency," of course, is futile .... It has no philosophy for incidents before they happen; therefore it has no power of choice. An act can only be successful or unsuccessful when it is over; if it is to begin, it must be, in the abstract, right or wrong. There is no such thing as backing a winner; for he cannot be a winner when he is backed. There is no such thing as fighting on the winning side; one fights to find out which is the winning side. If any operation has occurred, that operation was efficient.... A man who thinks much about success must be the drowsiest sentimentalist; for he must be always looking back. If he only likes victory he must always come late for the battle. For the man of action there is nothing but idealism.
”
”
G.K. Chesterton
“
It's not luck - there's probably no such thing as luck, and if there is you can't depend on it. All you can do is play the percentages, play your best game, and when the critical bet comes - in every money game there is always a critical bet - you hold your stomach tight and you push hard. That's the clutch. And that's where your born loser loses
”
”
Walter Tevis (The Hustler (Eddie Felson, #1))
“
Ramona would no doubt have pointed out that there are always two of everything, “one that wins, and one that’s all the other bastards
”
”
Fredrik Backman (The Winners (Beartown, #3))
“
The teams are always uneven, storms against humanity, but humanity's persistence wins in the end
”
”
Fredrik Backman (The Winners (Beartown, #3))
Brittany Noel Bostic (The Fight)
“
The teams are always uneven, storms against humanity, but humanity’s persistence wins in the end.
”
”
Fredrik Backman (The Winners (Beartown, #3))
“
Those who win are not always the WINNERS.
”
”
Bhuwan Thapaliya
“
Maybe, in sports, you have to be dumb enough to believe you always have a chance. And a bad memory —you need that, too. You must be able to forget. You made an unforced error? You blew an easy winner? Don't dwell. Don't reply. Just forget, as if it never happened. If you tried something and it did not work, you have to be dumb enough, when the same chance comes around, to try it again. And this time it will work! You have to be dumb enough to have no fear. Every time I step on a court, I believe that I'm going to win, no matter who I'm playing or what does the odds say. That's what makes me so hard to beat.
”
”
Maria Sharapova (Unstoppable: My Life So Far)
“
The thing about fights, I mean real fights, is that they’re nothing like what you see on TV. There’s no fancy choreography, no drawn-out, back and forth battle and the sad truth is the good guy doesn’t always win. In reality, they’re quick, scrappy, and brutal, and the winner is quite simply the guy who doesn’t fight fair—at
”
”
James P. Sumner (True Conviction (Adrian Hell, #1))
“
Those of us who love sports don't always love sportsmen and women. Our love for them is conditional on them being on our side, playing on our team, competing in our colors. We can admire an opponent but we never love them, not the way we love the ones who represent us, because when ours win, it feels like we win too. They become symbols of everything we ourselves want to be.
”
”
Fredrik Backman (The Winners (Beartown, #3))
“
All organizations like to boast that they're building a culture, but when it comes down to it everyone really only cares about one sort: the culture of winning...We love winners, even though they're very rarely particularly likeable people. They're almost always obsessive and selfish and inconsiderate. That doesn't matter. We forgive them. We like them while they're winning.
”
”
Fredrik Backman (Beartown (Beartown, #1))
“
[Bluestone's] dark eyes, which had been focused on the blue sky outside the cellblock window, shifted to Wicklow. "A lot of white folks in these parts, their ancestors were killed in what your history books call the Great Sioux Uprising. In schools, they teach that the Dakota were savages, that we rose up against our neighbors and slaughtered them."
"The Sioux--Dakota--here probably have ancestors killed by whites."
"But the Dakota didn't win that war. In the end, a war is always about who wins. My people had no chance. It doesn't matter that they had every reason to be angry and desperate. They'd been lied to, cheated, starved, their land and everything on it stolen. So they fought. And they lost. But the history has been written by the whites. In Black Earth County, it's the whites who believe they were set on unfairly, cruelly, and have the right to carry all that hatred in their hearts.
”
”
William Kent Krueger (The River We Remember)
“
... it's just something women used to say when they sent their men off to war. Come back with your shield, or on it."
"On your shield?" said Nobby. ""You mean like ... sledging, sort of thing?"
"Like dead," said Angua. "It meant come back a winner or not at all."
"Well, I always came back with my shield," said Nobby. "No problem there."
"Nobby," sighed Colon, "you used to come back with your shield, everyone else's shield, a sack of teeth and fifteen pairs of still-warm boots. On a cart."
"We-el, no point in going to war unless you're on the winning side," said Nobby, sticking the white feather in his helmet.
"Nobby, you was always on the winning side, the reason bein', you used to lurk aroun' the edges to see who was winning and then pull the right uniform off'f some poor dead sod. I used to hear where the generals kept an eye on what you were wearin' so they'd know how the battle was going.
”
”
Terry Pratchett (Jingo (Discworld, #21; City Watch, #4))
“
Winter apple,” Kestrel said. “Arin, you have been bribing my horse!”
“Me? No.”
“You have! No wonder he likes you so much.”
“Are you sure it’s not because of my good looks and pleasing manners?” This was said lightly--not quite sarcastically, yet in a voice that nevertheless told Kestrel that he doubted he possessed either of these things.
But he was pleasing. He pleased her. And she could never forget his beauty. She had learned it all too well.
She blushed. “It’s not fair,” she said.
He took in her rising color. His mouth curved. And although Kestrel wasn’t sure that he could interpret what effect he was having on her simply by standing there and saying the word pleasing, she knew that he always knew when he had an advantage.
He pressed it. “Doesn’t your father’s theory of war include winning over the other side by offering sweets? No? An oversight, I think. I wonder…might I bribe you?”
Kestrel’s fingers clenched. It probably looked like anger. It wasn’t. It was the instinctive gesture of someone dangerously tempted.
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1))
“
When sushi-suit girl calls up entrants to show off their costumes, Cole manages to pull Wallace out of his seat to stand awkwardly out there, but I refuse when my name is called.
“It’s just for a second,” Cole says, motioning me out with his hands. “Come on. Just a second.”
“I don’t . . . I don’t really want to.”
Wallace gently pushes Cole out of the way so he can get back to his seat and grab his phone.
If she doesn’t want to, don’t make her do it.
Cole sighs so overdramatically he must be joking, then turns to tell sushi girl I won’t be participating after all. A few more people from other groups around the room go up. There’s a panel of teenaged judges stationed behind one short bookcase like it’s a desk, and at the very end they get together to deliberate before they announce one of the Hogwarts students as the winner.
“Oh, come on!” Cole cries. “The Harry Potter people always win! They’ve had like twelve years to put their costumes together!”
“I’ve done my waiting,” Megan says to Hazel, pulling up the little girl’s arms. “Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!
”
”
Francesca Zappia (Eliza and Her Monsters)
“
There will always be people who try to squeeze you into their molds and pressure you into being who they want you to be. They may be good people. They may mean well, but the problem is they didn’t breathe life into you. They didn’t equip you or empower you. God did.
If you’re going to become the winner you were created to be, you need to have a boldness. The second quality of a winner is that you run your race the way you want to run it.
You can’t be insecure and you can’t worry about what everyone thinks. You can’t try to keep everyone happy. If you change with every criticism and play up to people, trying to win their favor, you’ll go through life letting people manipulate you and pressure you into their boxes.
You have to accept the fact that you can’t keep everyone happy. You can’t make everyone like you. You will never win over every critic. Even if you changed and did everything they asked, some would still find fault. You’re not really free until you’re free from trying to please everyone. You’re respectful, you’re kind, but you’re not living to please people, you’re living to please God.
”
”
Joel Osteen (You Can You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner)
“
Every Olympian wants to win a gold medal. Every candidate wants to get the job. And if successful and unsuccessful people share the same goals, then the goal cannot be what differentiates the winners from the losers.22 It wasn’t the goal of winning the Tour de France that propelled the British cyclists to the top of the sport. Presumably, they had wanted to win the race every year before—just like every other professional team. The goal had always been there. It was only when they implemented a system of continuous small improvements that they achieved a different outcome.
”
”
James Clear (Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones)
“
Culture" is an odd word to use about hockey; everyone says it, but no one can explain what it means. All organizations like to boast that they 're building a culture, but when it comes down to it everyone really only cares about one sort: the culture of winning. Sune is well aware that the same thing applies the world over, but perhaps it's more noticeable in a small community. We love winners, even though they're rarely particularly likeable people. They're almost always obsessive and selfish and inconsiderate. That doesn't matter. We forgive them. We like them while they're winning.
”
”
Fredrik Backman (Beartown (Beartown, #1))
“
Animals, including people, fight harder to prevent losses than to achieve gains. In the world of territorial animals, this principle explains the success of defenders. A biologist observed that “when a territory holder is challenged by a rival, the owner almost always wins the contest—usually within a matter of seconds.” In human affairs, the same simple rule explains much of what happens when institutions attempt to reform themselves, in “reorganizations” and “restructuring” of companies, and in efforts to rationalize a bureaucracy, simplify the tax code, or reduce medical costs. As initially conceived, plans for reform almost always produce many winners and some losers while achieving an overall improvement. If the affected parties have any political influence, however, potential losers will be more active and determined than potential winners; the outcome will be biased in their favor and inevitably more expensive and less effective than initially planned. Reforms commonly include grandfather clauses that protect current stake-holders—for example, when the existing workforce is reduced by attrition rather than by dismissals, or when cuts in salaries and benefits apply only to future workers. Loss aversion is a powerful conservative force that favors minimal changes from the status quo in the lives of both institutions and individuals.
”
”
Daniel Kahneman (Thinking, Fast and Slow)
“
Kestrel though that Arin was someone who had fallen far.
She couldn’t ask if that was true. She remembered his angry response when she had asked why he had been trained as a blacksmith, and that question had seemed innocent enough. Yet it had hurt him.
She did not want to hurt him.
“How did you learn to play Bite and Sting?” she asked. “It’s Valorian.”
He looked relieved. “There was a time when Herrani enjoyed sailing to your country. We liked your people. And we have always admired the arts. Our sailors brought back Bite and Sting sets a long time ago.”
“Bite and Sting is a game, not an art.”
He folded his arms across his chest, amused. “If you say so.”
“I’m surprised to hear that Herrani liked anything about Valorians. I thought you considered us stupid savages.”
“Wild creatures,” he muttered.
Kestrel was sure she had misheard him. “What?”
“Nothing. Yes, you were completely uncultured. You ate with your hands. Your idea of entertainment was seeing who could kill the other first. But”--his eyes met hers, then glanced away--“you were known for other things, too.”
“What things? What do you mean?”
He shook his head. He made that strange gesture again, lifting his fingers to flick the air by his temple. Then he folded his hands, unfolded them, and began to mix the tiles. “You have asked too many questions. If you want more, you will have to win them.
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1))
“
Arin, you have been bribing my horse!”
“Me? No.”
“You have! No wonder he likes you so much.”
“Are you sure it’s not because of my good looks and pleasing manners?” This was said lightly--not quite sarcastically, yet in a voice that nevertheless told Kestrel that he doubted he possessed either of these things.
But he was pleasing. He pleased her. And she could never forget his beauty. She had learned it all too well.
She blushed. “It’s not fair,” she said.
He took in her rising color. His mouth curved. And although Kestrel wasn’t sure that he could interpret what effect he was having on her simply by standing there and saying the word pleasing, she knew that he always knew when he had an advantage.
He pressed it. “Doesn’t your father’s theory of war include winning over the other side by offering sweets? No? An oversight, I think. I wonder…might I bribe you?
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1))
“
Arin said, “If I win, I will ask a question, and you will answer.”
She felt a nervous flutter. “I could lie. People lie.”
“I’m willing to risk it.”
“If those are your stakes, then I assume my prize would be the same.”
“If you win.”
She still could not quite agree. “Questions and answers are highly irregular stakes in Bite and Sting,” she said irritably.
“Whereas matches make the perfect ante, and are so exciting to win and lose.”
“Fine.” Kestrel tossed the box to the carpet, where it landed with a muffled sound.
Arin didn’t look satisfied or amused or anything at all. He simply drew his hand. She did the same. They played in intent concentration, and Kestrel was determined to win.
She didn’t.
“I want to know,” Arin said, “why you are not already a soldier.”
Kestrel couldn’t have said what she had thought he would ask, but this was not it, and the question recalled years of arguments she would rather forget. She was curt. “I’m seventeen. I’m not yet required by law to enlist or marry.”
He settled back in his chair, toying with one of his winning pieces. He tapped a thin side against the table, spun the tile in his fingers, and tapped another side. “That’s not a full answer.”
“I don’t think we specified how short or long these answers should be. Let’s play again.”
“If you win, will you be satisfied with the kind of answer you have given me?”
Slowly, she said, “The military is my father’s life. Not mine. I’m not even a skilled fighter.”
“Really?” His surprise seemed genuine.
“Oh, I pass muster. I can defend myself as well as most Valorians, but I’m not good at combat. I know what it’s like to be good at something.”
Arin glanced again at the piano.
“There is also my music,” Kestrel acknowledged. “A piano is not very portable. I could hardly take it with me if I were sent into battle.”
“Playing music is for slaves,” Arin said. “Like cooking or cleaning.”
Kestrel heard anger in his words, buried like bedrock under the careless ripple of his voice. “It wasn’t always like that.”
Arin was silent, and even though Kestrel had initially tried to answer his question in the briefest of ways, she felt compelled to explain the final reason behind her resistance to the general. “Also…I don’t want to kill.” Arin frowned at this, so Kestrel laughed to make light of the conversation. “I drive my father mad. Yet don’t all daughters? So we’ve made a truce. I have agreed that, in the spring, I will either enlist or marry.”
He stopped spinning the tile in his fingers. “You’ll marry, then.”
“Yes. But at least I will have six months of peace first.”
Arin dropped the tile to the table. “Let’s play again.”
This time Kestrel won, and wasn’t prepared for how her blood buzzed with triumph.
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1))
“
We can withstand a siege for some time,” Arin said. “The city walls are strong. They’re Valorian-built.”
“Which means that we will know how to bring them down.”
Arin swirled his glass, watching the water’s clear spin. “Care to bet? I have matches. I hear they make very fine stakes.” There was the quirk of a smile.
“We aren’t playing at Bite and Sting.”
“But if we were, and I kept raising the stakes higher to the point where you couldn’t bear to lose, what would you do? Maybe you’d give up the game. Herran’s only hope of winning against the empire is to become too painful to retake. To mire the Valorians in an unending siege when they’d rather be fighting the east. To force them to conquer the countryside again, piece by piece, spending money and lives. Someday, the empire will decide we’re not worth the fight.”
Kestrel shook her head. “Herran will always be worth it.”
Arin looked at her, his hands resting on the table. He, too, had no knife. Kestrel knew that this was to make it less obvious that she wasn’t to be trusted with one. Instead, it became more.
“You’re missing a button,” he said abruptly.
“What?”
He reached across the table and touched the cloth at her wrist, on the spot of an open seam. His fingertip brushed the frayed thread.
Kestrel forgot that she had been troubled. She had been thinking about knives, she remembered, and now they were talking about buttons, but what one had to do with the other, she couldn’t say.
“Why don’t you mend it?” he said.
She recovered herself. “That is a silly question.”
“Kestrel, do you not know how to sew a button?”
She refused to answer.
“Wait here,” he said.
Arin returned with a sewing kit and button. He threaded a needle, bit it between his teeth, and took her wrist with both hands.
Her blood turned to wine.
“This is how you do it,” he said.
He took the needle from his mouth and pierced it through the cloth.
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1))
“
That man doesn't know how to fail and that's his greatest weakness. You see, and always remember this, there are two things you need to know how to do in life : Firstly, you need to know how to win, secondly, you need to know how to fail beautifully. You need to know how to fail so beautifully, that it looks just like winning! These two things, you hear? But that man only knows how to win and when you don't know how to fail, you miss some of the best turns in life. You see, the best places we end up in are from the wrong turns we took on the trips to where we thought we needed to go! You get lost on the map, at the race, and you end up in places you thought you'd never be: those are always the best stories. But you'll never have that in life if all you know how to do is win, if you don't know how to get lost. You have got to know how to fail, too. You don't wanna be like that man. Part of being a winner, is knowing how to fail beautifully.
”
”
C. JoyBell C.
“
I cooked with so many of the greats: Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz. Rick Bayless taught me not one but two amazing mole sauces, the whole time bemoaning that he never seemed to know what to cook for his teenage daughter. Jose Andres made me a classic Spanish tortilla, shocking me with the sheer volume of viridian olive oil he put into that simple dish of potatoes, onions, and eggs. Graham Elliot Bowles and I made gourmet Jell-O shots together, and ate leftover cheddar risotto with Cheez-Its crumbled on top right out of the pan.
Lucky for me, Maria still includes me in special evenings like this, usually giving me the option of joining the guests at table, or helping in the kitchen. I always choose the kitchen, because passing up the opportunity to see these chefs in action is something only an idiot would do. Susan Spicer flew up from New Orleans shortly after the BP oil spill to do an extraordinary menu of all Gulf seafood for a ten-thousand-dollar-a-plate fund-raising dinner Maria hosted to help the families of Gulf fishermen. Local geniuses Gil Langlois and Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard joined forces with Gale Gand for a seven-course dinner none of us will ever forget, due in no small part to Gil's hoisin oxtail with smoked Gouda mac 'n' cheese, Stephanie's roasted cauliflower with pine nuts and light-as-air chickpea fritters, and Gale's honey panna cotta with rhubarb compote and insane little chocolate cookies. Stephanie and I bonded over hair products, since we have the same thick brown curls with a tendency to frizz, and the general dumbness of boys, and ended up giggling over glasses of bourbon till nearly two in the morning. She is even more awesome, funny, sweet, and genuine in person than she was on her rock-star winning season on Bravo. Plus, her food is spectacular all day. I sort of wish she would go into food television and steal me from Patrick. Allen Sternweiler did a game menu with all local proteins he had hunted himself, including a pheasant breast over caramelized brussels sprouts and mushrooms that melted in your mouth (despite the occasional bit of buckshot). Michelle Bernstein came up from Miami and taught me her white gazpacho, which I have since made a gajillion times, as it is probably one of the world's perfect foods.
”
”
Stacey Ballis (Off the Menu)
“
Soon, droves of children start to show up, keeping us rather busy. We start tallying up the number of Trolls, Batmans, Lego men, and princesses we see. The most popular costume? Batman and Superwoman with the fabrics and accessories varying from child to child. But my favorite so far is the girl who dressed as Little Debbie, but then again, I may be biased.
“I think she might be my new favorite,” Emma says as a little girl dressed as a nurse walks away.
“That’s because you’re a nurse, but you can’t play favorites,” I say, reminding Emma of the rules.
She levels with me. “This coming from the guy whose favorite child was dressed as Little Debbie.”
“Come on.” I lean back in my chair and motion to my head. “She had the rim of blue on her hat. That’s attention to detail.”
“And good fucking parenting,” Tucker chimes in, and we clink our beer bottles together.
Amelia chuckles next to me as Emma shakes her head. “Ridiculous. What about you, Amelia? What costume has been your favorite so far?”
“Hmm, it’s been a tough competition. There has been some real winning costumes and some absolute piss-poor ones.” She shakes her head. “Just because you put a scarf around your neck and call yourself Jack Frost doesn’t mean you dressed up.”
“Ugh, that costume was dumb.”
“It shouldn’t be referred to as a costume, but that’s beside the point.” I like how much Amelia is getting into this little pretend competition. She’s a far cry from the girl who first came home earlier. I love that having Tucker and Emma over has given me more time with Amelia, getting to know the woman she is today, but also managed to put that beautiful smile back on her face.
“So who takes the cake for you?” I ask, nudging her leg with mine.
Smiling up at me, she says, “Hands down it’s the little boy who dressed as Dwight Schrute from The Office. I think I giggled for five minutes straight after he left. That costume was spot on.”
“Oh shit, you’re right,” I reply as Emma and Tucker agree with me. “He even had the watch calculator.”
“And the small nose Dwight always complains about.” Emma chuckles. “Yeah, he has to be the winner.”
“Now, now, now, let’s not get too hasty. Little Debbie is still in the running,” Tucker points out.
Amelia leans forward, seeming incredibly comfortable, and says, “There is no way Little Debbie beats Dwight. Sorry, dude.”
The shocked look on Tucker’s face is comical. He’s just been put in his place and the old Amelia has returned.
I fucking love it.
”
”
Meghan Quinn (The Other Brother (Binghamton, #4))
“
Describe the defeated ones,” said a merchant, when he saw that the Copt had finished speaking. And he answered: The defeated are those who never fail. Defeat means that we lose a particular battle or war. Failure does not allow us to go on fighting. Defeat comes when we fail to get something we very much want. Failure does not allow us to dream. Its motto is: “Expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed.” Defeat ends when we launch into another battle. Failure has no end; it is a lifetime choice. Defeat is for those who, despite their fears, live with enthusiasm and faith. Defeat is for the valiant. Only they will know the honor of losing and the joy of winning. I am not here to tell you that defeat is part of life; we all know that. Only the defeated know Love. Because it is in the realm of Love that we fight our first battles—and generally lose. I am here to tell you that there are people who have never been defeated. They are the ones who never fought. They managed to avoid scars, humiliations, and feelings of helplessness, as well as those moments when even warriors doubt the existence of God. Such people can say with pride: “I never lost a battle.” On the other hand, they will never be able to say: “I won a battle.” Not that they care. They live in a universe in which they believe they are invulnerable; they close their eyes to injustices and to suffering; they feel safe because they do not have to deal with the daily challenges faced by those who risk stepping out beyond their own boundaries. They have never heard the words “good-bye” or “I’ve come back. Embrace me with the fervor of someone who, having lost me, has found me again.” Those who were never defeated seem happy and superior, masters of a truth they never had to lift a finger to achieve. They are always on the side of the strong. They’re like hyenas, who eat only the leavings of lions. They teach their children: “Don’t get involved in conflicts; you’ll only lose. Keep your doubts to yourself and you’ll never have any problems. If someone attacks you, don’t get offended or demean yourself by hitting back. There are more important things in life.” In the silence of the night, they fight their imaginary battles: their unrealized dreams, the injustices to which they turned a blind eye, the moments of cowardice they managed to conceal from other people—but not from themselves—and the love that crossed their path with a sparkle in its eyes, the love God had intended for them, but which they lacked the courage to embrace. And they promise themselves: “Tomorrow will be different.” But tomorrow comes and the paralyzing question surfaces in their mind: “What if it doesn’t work out?” And so they do nothing. Woe to those who were never beaten! They will never be winners in this life.
”
”
Paulo Coelho (Manuscript Found in Accra)
“
I could stay,” he said. “I could leave tomorrow.”
“No. I want you to go now.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, but what about what I want?”
The softness in his voice made her lift her gaze. She would have answered him--how, she wasn’t sure--if Javelin’s attention hadn’t turned to him. The stallion began nuzzling Arin as if he were the horse’s favorite person in the world. Kestrel felt a pang of jealousy. Then she saw something that sent thoughts of jealousy and loneliness and want right out of her head, and just made her mad. Javelin was nibbling a certain part of Arin, waffling around a pocket exactly the right size to hold a--
“Winter apple,” Kestrel said. “Arin, you have been bribing my horse!”
“Me? No.”
“You have! No wonder he likes you so much.”
“Are you sure it’s not because of my good looks and pleasing manners?” This was said lightly--not quite sarcastically, yet in a voice that nevertheless told Kestrel that he doubted he possessed either of these things.
But he was pleasing. He pleased her. And she could never forget his beauty. She had learned it all too well.
She blushed. “It’s not fair,” she said.
He took in her rising color. His mouth curved. And although Kestrel wasn’t sure that he could interpret what effect he was having on her simply by standing there and saying the word pleasing, she knew that he always knew when he had an advantage.
He pressed it. “Doesn’t your father’s theory of war include winning over the other side by offering sweets? No? An oversight, I think. I wonder…might I bribe you?”
Kestrel’s fingers clenched. It probably looked like anger. It wasn’t. It was the instinctive gesture of someone dangerously tempted.
“Open your hands, Little Fists,” said Arin. “Open your eyes. I haven’t stolen his love for you. Look.” It was true that in the course of their conversation, Javelin had turned away from Arin, disappointed by the empty pocket. The horse nosed Kestrel’s shoulder. “See?” Arin said. “He knows the difference between an easy mark and his mistress.
”
”
Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1))
“
beyond them. The Six Diseases If we want to look at how we practice all forms of rivalry, there are six diseases my father wrote about, all of which stem from the desire we have to win at all costs. These diseases rely on being in competition, which is typically where we go in a relationship the moment any discord pops up. When we relate to others in these ways, we are disconnecting from them and disconnecting from our true selves in order to access some form of outside validation. In other words, there is no relationship, no collaboration, no cocreation. There is only the victor and the loser. The Six Diseases are: The desire for victory I have to be the winner. If I don’t win, I’m a loser. If I win, everyone else is a loser. The desire to resort to technical cunning I rely on the power of my wits to show you how great I am. Who cares about people or their feelings as long as everyone can see how clever I am? The desire to display all that has been learned Check me out. I know lots of things. I can speak at length about anything. It doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say (especially if it’s dumb). The desire to awe the enemy I am a force to be reckoned with. Look out! I will wow you to get your approval even if I have to do something shocking and wild to get your attention. The desire to play the passive role I am so easy to get along with. Who wouldn’t like me? I am so unobtrusive and sweet. I will put anything that’s important to me aside to make sure that you see how likeable and wonderful I am. How could you not like me when I sacrifice everything just for you? The desire to rid oneself of whatever disease one is affected by I am not okay as I am. I will perform constant self-work and read as many books as I can and take so many classes to make myself good that you will see that I am always trying to be a good person even if I continue to do lots of shitty things. I know I’m not okay as I am. And I know you know that I know I’m not okay as I am, which makes it okay not to get truly better as long as it looks like I’m trying.
”
”
Shannon Lee (Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee)
“
The opponent seemed to shift slightly in the seat. His index finger tapped a card, just a couple strokes. There it was the card that ruined his hand. Her hazel eyes release the player across from her to steal a glance registering the emotion of observers around the table then to her best friend. Sophie looks like a Nervous Nelly-she, always worries. She knows the girl will put too much emphasis on a lost hand. The striking man with his lusty brown eyes tries to draw Sophie closer. Now that he has folded and left the game, he is unnecessary, and the seasoned flirt easily escapes his reach. He leaves with a scowl; Sophie turns and issues knowing wink. Ell’s focus is now unfettered, freeing her again to bring down the last player. When she wins this hand, she will smile sweetly, thank the boys for their indulgence, and walk away $700 ahead. The men never suspected her; she’s no high roller. She realizes she and Sophie will have to stay just a bit. Mill around and pay homage to the boy’s egos. The real trick will be leaving this joint alone without one of them trying to tag along. Her opponent is taking his time; he is still undecided as to what card to keep—tap, tap. He may not know, but she has an idea which one he will choose. He attempts to appear nonchalant, but she knows she has him cornered. She makes a quick glance for Mr. Lusty Brown-eyes; he has found a new dame who is much more receptive than Sophie had been. Good, that small problem resolved itself for them. She returns her focuses on the cards once more and notes, her opponent’s eyes have dilated a bit. She has him, but she cannot let the gathering of onlookers know. She wants them to believe this was just a lucky night for a pretty girl. Her mirth finds her eyes as she accepts his bid.
From a back table, there is a ruckus indicating the crowd’s appreciation of a well-played game as it ends. Reggie knew a table was freeing up, and just in time, he did not want to waste this evening on the painted and perfumed blonde dish vying for his attention. He glances the way of the table that slowly broke up. He recognizes most of the players and searches out the winner amongst them. He likes to take on the victor, and through the crowd, he catches a glimpse of his goal, surprised that he had not noticed her before. The women who frequent the back poker rooms in speakeasies all dress to compete – loud colors, low bodices, jewelry which flashes in the low light. This dame faded into the backdrop nicely, wearing a deep gray understated yet flirty gown. The minx deliberately blended into the room filled with dark men’s suits. He chuckles, thinking she is just as unassuming as can be playing the room as she just played those patsies at the table. He bet she had sat down all wide-eyed with some story about how she always wanted to play cards. He imagined she offered up a stake that wouldn’t be large but at the same time, substantial enough. Gauging her demeanor, she would have been bold enough to have the money tucked in her bodice. Those boys would be eager after she teased them by retrieving her stake. He smiled a slow smile; he would not mind watching that himself. He knew gamblers; this one was careful not to call in the hard players, just a couple of marks, which would keep the pit bosses off her. He wants to play her; however, before he can reach his goal, the skirt slips away again, using her gray camouflage to aid her. Hell, it is just as well, Reggie considered she would only serve as a distraction and what he really needs is the mental challenge of the game not the hot release of some dame–good or not.
Off in a corner, the pit boss takes out a worn notepad, his meaty hands deftly use a stub of a pencil to enter the notation. The date and short description of the two broads quickly jotted down for his boss Mr. Deluca. He has seen the pair before, and they are winning too often for it to be accidental or to be healthy.
”
”
Caroline Walken (Ell's Double Down (The Willows #1))
“
She used to compete with Edward to determine the prettier creation, and she always emerged victorious. But in retrospect, even if she had made the world’s ugliest snow angel, Edward would have still declared her the winner because he was Edward, and that was the type of person he was. Winning was of little significance to him, what mattered most was that they had an enjoyable time together.
”
”
Alexis Lawrence (Seasons: The Mysterious Woman)
“
The president fundamentally wants to be liked” was Katie Walsh’s analysis. “He just fundamentally needs to be liked so badly that it’s always … everything is a struggle for him.” This translated into a constant need to win something—anything. Equally important, it was essential that he look like a winner. Of course, trying to win without consideration, plan, or clear goals had, in the course of the administration’s first nine months, resulted in almost nothing but losses. At the same time, confounding all political logic, that lack of a plan, that impulsivity, that apparent joie de guerre, had helped create the disruptiveness that seemed to so joyously shatter the status quo for so many. But now, Bannon thought, that novelty was finally wearing off. For Bannon, the Strange-Moore race had been a test of the Trump cult of personality. Certainly Trump continued to believe that people were following him, that he was the movement—and that his support was worth 8 to 10 points in any race. Bannon had decided to test this thesis and to do it as dramatically as possible. All told, the Senate Republican leadership and others spent $ 32 million on Strange’s campaign, while Moore’s campaign spent $ 2 million. Trump, though aware of Strange’s deep polling deficit, had agreed to extend his support in a personal trip. But his appearance in Huntsville, Alabama, on September 22, before a Trump-size crowd, was a political flatliner. It was a full-on Trump speech, ninety minutes of rambling and improvisation—the wall would be built (now it was a see-through wall), Russian interference in the U.S. election was a hoax, he would fire anybody on his cabinet who supported Moore. But, while his base turned out en masse, still drawn to Trump the novelty, his cheerleading for Luther Strange drew at best a muted response. As the crowd became restless, the event threatened to become a hopeless embarrassment. Reading his audience and desperate to find a way out, Trump suddenly threw out a line about Colin Kaepernick taking to his knee while the national anthem played at a National Football League game. The line got a standing ovation. The president thereupon promptly abandoned Luther Strange for the rest of the speech. Likewise, for the next week he continued to whip the NFL. Pay no attention to Strange’s resounding defeat five days after the event in Huntsville. Ignore the size and scale of Trump’s rejection and the Moore-Bannon triumph, with its hint of new disruptions to come. Now Trump had a new topic, and a winning one: the Knee.
”
”
Michael Wolff (Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House)
“
Set your mind for victory
You may not realize it, but that’s setting the tone for defeat, for failure, for a lousy day. The first thing you should do is get your mind going in the right direction. This is why many people don’t have enough energy, joy, vision, or passion. Their minds are set on the negative. It’s been that way so long they don’t know any better. It’s normal to them.
They go through the day expecting problems, bad breaks, to barely get by, and to be mistreated. They live by Murphy’s Law, which says, “If anything can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible time. Things will take longer than you thought. It will be more difficult than it seems.”
Because these people haven’t set their minds, they expect negative things to happen. They wonder why they have such a tough time, and why they can’t get ahead. It’s because they’re setting their minds for defeat, for bad breaks, for failure.
If you have fallen into that negative mind-set, you’ve got to change your outlook. You are a child of the most high God. You’ve been crowned with favor. You were never created to live an average, get-by, short-end-of-the-stick life. You were created to be the head and not the tail, to lend and not borrow, to reign in life as a king. You have royalty in your blood. Winning is in your DNA.
Now get rid of that negative mentality, and set your mind for victory. Set your mind for increase. Set your mind for good breaks. Start expecting your plans to work out. Expect people to be good to you. Expect to have a productive day.
If it doesn’t happen, don’t fall back into that old negative mentality by thinking things like: “I should have known it would not work out for me. I never get good breaks. I never find a good parking spot. These people never treat me right. It always takes me longer than anyone else.
”
”
Joel Osteen (You Can You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner)
“
The beauty of poker is that while luck is always involved, luck doesn’t dictate the long-term results of the game. A person can get dealt terrible cards and beat someone who was dealt great cards. Sure, the person who gets dealt great cards has a higher likelihood of winning the hand, but ultimately the winner is determined by—yup, you guessed it—the choices each player makes throughout play. I see life in the same terms. We all get dealt cards. Some of us get better cards than others. And while it’s easy to get hung up on our cards, and feel we got screwed over, the real game lies in the choices we make with those cards, the risks we decide to take, and the consequences we choose to live with. People who consistently make the best choices in the situations they’re given are the ones who eventually come out ahead in poker, just as in life. And it’s not necessarily the people with the best cards. There are those who suffer psychologically and emotionally from neurological and/or genetic deficiencies. But this changes nothing. Sure, they inherited a bad hand and are not to blame. No more than the short guy wanting to get a date is to blame for being short. Or the person who got robbed is to blame for being robbed. But it’s still their responsibility. Whether they choose to seek psychiatric treatment, undergo therapy, or do nothing, the choice is ultimately theirs to make. There are those who suffer through bad childhoods. There are those who are abused and violated and screwed over, physically, emotionally, financially. They are not to blame for their problems and their hindrances, but they are still responsible—always responsible—to move on despite their problems and to make the best choices they can, given their circumstances.
”
”
Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life)
“
So while talent is always acknowledged as a quality essential to winners, words like grit, perseverance and determination are used just as often. Indeed in the foreword to Steve Waugh’s autobiography Out of My Comfort Zone, Rahul Dravid wrote, ‘Waugh gave grit a good name!’ Apart from the fact that it’s a great line, it also provides valuable insight. Flair has always been considered glamorous, but grit has never been fashionable, and certainly not in India.
”
”
Anita Bhogle and Harsha Bhogle (The Winning Way 2.0Learnings from Sport for Managers)
“
Winners always know in advance that they’re going to win. Just
”
”
Dave O'Connor (How To Create The Mindset Of A Network Marketing Champion)
“
Attitude at work shows attitude in life.
If you want to know how people are doing in their lives, watch how they perform in their work.
Do they have full commitment in giving their best to whatever they do?
Do they treat their very act of being involved in an activity seriously?
You can see that people who work halfheartedly are the very same people who get halfhearted results in life.
The truth is we are always in a game because life is a game.
We either play to win or not.
Those who are serious about winning are the ones who do.
Most people want to have fun playing the game, but winners are the ones who want to have serious fun.
The most fun you can have in anything you do is by playing to win & by winning.
The irony of life is that those who are not serious about life, end up in situations that are not funny.
Winning results from the intention to win.
The stronger your intent to win, the more your probabilities of winning.
Playing to win mindset is considered obsolete by many, but you will see that whenever two evenly matched players are competing head to head, the one who is more intent on winning is the one who does.
Individuals with strong intention of winning are able to overcome tougher challenges.
Intention to win is important.
Play to win.
”
”
Ron Malhotra
“
You’re not running again,” he growled before pouncing up onto the table.
I shrieked, stumbling backwards as he leapt towards me. I threw my shoes at him and they bounced off of his chest making him pause in surprise. He barked a laugh then lunged at me, faster than was humanly possible.
He caught my waist and I squealed as he pushed me back against a heavy bookcase which stood along the wall. My hands landed on his shoulders like I was going to push him off of me but I didn’t.
“Cheat,” I breathed as my heart pounded.
“Only a little,” he admitted.
Before I could say anything else, he leaned forward and kissed me. My heart leapt, my skin tingled and my traitorous body gave in to his demand. I was supposed to hate him. I was supposed to be shoving him off of me and slapping him and telling him to stay the hell away from me.
I definitely shouldn’t have been pulling him closer, my hands fisting in the material of his shirt, my lips parting to admit his tongue.
I could still taste blood from where I’d bitten my lip and he obviously could too, a groan of desire escaping him as I felt a soft tug on my magic from the welt on my lip.
Why am I always a sucker for the bad guys? And why does it always feel so good?
The heat of his kiss lit me up and I gave up on any thoughts of pushing him away. It wasn’t like I was giving him my heart anyway. Just a kiss... or maybe two...
Caleb’s hands slid into my hair and I arched my back, pressing my body against his.
His grip tightened in my hair and he dragged my head backwards, breaking our kiss as he moved his mouth down my neck, teasing with the idea of biting me, his fangs flirting with my flesh.
My body was alight with his proximity and I moaned, urging him on. I didn’t want this to stop even if I really should have.
Caleb withdrew just enough to look into my eyes and the heat I saw in his gaze made my toes curl.
“You wanna play another game, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice deep.
“What do I get if I win?” I breathed.
“I think this game will have two winners,” he promised.
My gaze roamed over his face hungrily but then I glanced at the open door. This really wasn’t the best place for us to be making out... or doing anything else either.
“I can sort that,” he said, taking one hand off of me and casting magic at the door. A long vine curled across the carpet before pushing the door closed and winding itself around the handle to lock it. An orb of orange light flickered into existence overhead as we were plunged into darkness, casting shadows over his stunning features. He aimed his palm at the ceiling next and I felt a wave of magic wash over me. “Silencing bubble, so we don’t have to hold back,” he explained.
I looked into his eyes, wondering if I was really going to do this with him. Heat was curling its way through my body, lighting me up with desire for this beast before me and I decided to act on it before I had the chance to question my decision.
(tory)
”
”
Caroline Peckham (Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy, #2))
“
Leadership is not always an open or closed lid but the continuous action of leading. It is not a Win, Lose; Winner Takes All; but a Win, Win if you never stop learning to lead. A leader that falls short of the mark and uses the wisdom of their past history of pitfalls and blunders can develop into a more powerful leader than before. This successful leadership style can be proven and altered over time, therefore; nothing is instant gratification. It takes time, hard work, planning, and prayer to become a great leader and maintain leadership."
– Terrance Robinson, Artist, Author, and Educator
”
”
Terrance Robinson, Artist, Author, and Educator
“
Leadership is not always an open or closed case but the continuous action of leading. It is not a Win, Lose; Winner Takes All; but a Win, Win if you never stop learning to lead. A leader that falls short of the mark and uses the wisdom of their past history of pitfalls and blunders can develop into a more effective leader than before. This successful leadership style can be proven and altered over time, therefore; nothing is instant gratification. It takes time, hard work, planning, and prayer to become a great leader and maintain leadership.
”
”
Terrance Robinson, Artist, Author, and Educator
“
Yeah.” I nod. “Wanna bet on it?”
He groans. “God, I fucking love you.”
“The winner gets to trash Ry’s new car,” I murmur, making D laugh.
“If I win, you have to marry us, that way you can never leave.” He grins.
“Fuck, you always play the high stakes,” I mutter. “Just ‘cause you’re dying doesn’t mean you get to ask for weird shit.”
“Course it does,” he whispers, but his face is paler now. Fear blasts through me as I lean down and press my lips to his.
“Don’t fucking die, and I’ll marry you all, I’ll even wear a fucking dress and everything.”
“Deal,” he mumbles.
”
”
K.A. Knight (Den of Vipers)
“
Sometime we have to reach deeper
Deeper than we are use to
The plan U just can’t get it,
Deeper and deeper we go
Reaching within to win
Winners know there is deeper
Deeper still to go.
Losers except they have gotten stuck
Stuck never looking to go any farther
As far as they came
is as far as they obtain
never overstanding there levels
levels still to be obtained.
sometimes we have to reach deeper
reach deeper within
pull forth the greatness within
there are levels to this
How far are we willing to reach?
reach deep deep within
to overcome be where we are
where we are
isn’t always the only level
The only level in life to obtain
reach deep reach deep within
there is still greater to obtain.
”
”
EnRico Stratton-Bey
“
Part of learning the slight edge is finding your own “intrinsically optimal rate of growth,” and it is always served best by a step-by-step approach of constant, never-ending improvement, which lays solid foundations and builds upon them over and over. The slight edge is your optimal rate of growth. Simple disciplines compounded over time. That’s how the tortoise won; that’s how you get to be a winner, too. Having said that, now let me ask this: what is the real point of the story of the tortoise and the hare? All together now: Slow and steady wins the race, right? But notice something here: the point is not that there’s any special virtue to moving slowly. There’s nothing inherently good about slowness, and it’s just as possible to move too slowly as to move too quickly. The key word in the Aesop moral is not “slow.” The key word here is steady. Steady wins the race. That’s the truth of it. Because steady is what taps into the power of the slight edge. The fable of the tortoise and the hare is really about the remarkable power of momentum. Newton’s second law of thermodynamics: a body at rest tends to stay at rest—and a body in motion tends to remain in motion. That’s why your activity is so important. Once you’re in motion, it’s easy to keep on keeping on. Once you stop, it’s hard to change from stop to go.
”
”
Jeff Olson (The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness)
“
Granny was a huge fan of The Price Is Right, hosted by Bob Barker. She had an amazing memory for grocery-store prices and always nailed the answers. One day when she was in her eighties, Granny announced, “I’m going to California to be on The Price Is Right. I’m going to win it. No problem.”
Granny talked my Uncle Harold into driving her to California, walker and all, and the family gathered around our television to watch Granny compete live on the country’s largest game show. And Granny did it! First, she won a Ford Mustang automobile. Then when it came time to guess the value of the showcase, she won that too. She came home with a truckload of appliances and not one but two cars. She had to sell one car to pay the sales taxes, but she was a winner, and she’d done what she said she was going to do. For the rest of her life, Granny slept with a signed photo of Bob Barker right next to her bed.
”
”
Jep Robertson (The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God: What Honesty and Pain Taught Us About Faith, Family, and Forgiveness)
“
Serial winners leverage a cycle of winning action to make progress. They do something every day that puts them or keeps them on course for the things they want in life. Along the way, they steadily overcome friction and other forces that could slow them down or knock them off course. By focusing on what they can and should do, they manage themselves out of tough, demoralizing situations. The result? They are always moving forward, following their passions, having fun, and contributing to the world. What
”
”
Larry Weidel (Serial Winner: 5 Actions to Create Your Cycle of Success)
“
Win spread his hands. “But why? What about the winner do we want to emulate? His ability to blind himself to anything but the pursuit of empty aggrandizement? His ego-inflating obsession with wearing a hunk of metal around his neck? His willingness to sacrifice anything, including people, in order to best another human being on a lump of AstroTurf for a cheesy statuette?” He looked up at Myron, his always serene face suddenly lost. “Why do we applaud this selfishness, this self-love?
”
”
Harlan Coben (Back Spin (Myron Bolitar, #4))
“
Win spread his hands. “But why? What about the winner do we want to emulate? His ability to blind himself to anything but the pursuit of empty aggrandizement? His ego-inflating obsession with wearing a hunk of metal around his neck? His willingness to sacrifice anything, including people, in order to best another human being on a lump of AstroTurf for a cheesy statuette?” He looked up at Myron, his always serene face suddenly lost. “Why do we applaud this selfishness, this self-love?” “Competitive drive isn’t a bad thing, Win. You’re talking about extremes.” “But it is the extremists we admire most. By its nature, what you call ‘competitive drive’ leads to extremism and destroys all in its path.” “You’re being simplistic, Win.” “It is simple, my friend.” They both settled back. Myron stared up at the exposed beams. After some time, he said, “You have it wrong.” “How so?” Myron wondered how to explain it. “When I played basketball,” he began, “I mean, when I really got into it and reached these levels you’re talking about—I barely thought about the score. I barely thought about my opponent or about beating somebody. I was alone. I was in the zone. This is going to sound stupid, but playing at the top of my game was almost Zen-like.” Win
”
”
Harlan Coben (Back Spin (Myron Bolitar, #4))
“
I guess the moral of these stories is that you better recruit winners. They may not always be the so-called can’t-miss-stars, but a player that expects to win and wants to win helps make a championship environment.
”
”
Mal M. Moore (Crimson Heart: Let Me Tell You My Story)
“
Winning isn’t always measured in money. There will be times when one will lose money—sometimes a lot of it—but winning is much more than ledgers. In assessing our worth, look first to the bedrock of our lives: values, health, family, and friends. Dying is no fun, even if you leave behind a pot of gold. Family and friends are the lifeblood and legacy of our lives.
”
”
Jon M. Huntsman Sr. (Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times)
“
Those who are growing great are always asking “why?” If they fail or lose, they ask “why?” If they succeed or win too, they ask “why?
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (Mine Your Gold: How to dig up and optimize your hidden greatness)
“
... but why does our family only ever side with the losers and never the winners?
What, you don’t like siding with the weaker folk?
Of course not. All we do is get hurt!
The wrinkles around his grandmother’s eyes had grown even deeper as she smiled widely and said, ‘It always looks like you’re losing at first, but in the end, the weak are destined to win. It’s just frustrating that it takes so long, is all.’
Then she added, ‘If you live long enough, you figure this all out. Everyone else knows it, too. They just don’t like to show it.
”
”
Hwang Sok-yong
“
T20 World Cup Betting: A Quick Guide
The T20 World Cup is one of the most exciting events in the cricketing calendar, bringing together top teams from around the world for a fast-paced, action-packed tournament. For many fans, placing a bet can add even more excitement to the games. Here’s a brief guide to get you started with T20 World Cup betting.
What is T20 World Cup Betting?
T20 World Cup betting involves wagering on various outcomes related to the tournament. This can range from predicting the overall winner of the World Cup to specific match outcomes or player performances.
Types of Bets
Match Bets: Wager on the outcome of individual matches.
Outright Bets: Bet on which team will win the entire tournament.
Prop Bets: Bet on specific events, like the top run-scorer in a match.
How to Bet
Choose a Platform: Select a reputable betting site like Bet365 or Betway.
Create an Account: Sign up and verify your details.
Deposit Funds: Add money to your account using a secure payment method.
Place Bets: Choose your bets based on your research and predictions.
Tips for Successful Betting
Research: Study team form, player statistics, and match conditions.
Set a Budget: Only bet what you can afford to lose.
Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and updates.
Responsible Betting
Betting should always be fun and done responsibly. Set limits for yourself and seek help if betting becomes a problem.
Betting on the T20 World Cup can enhance your enjoyment of the game, but always remember to bet wisely and responsibly.
”
”
96in
“
The idea that life has no beginning (anadi) and no end (ananta), that our existence has no borders, no starting or finishing line, stands in direct contrast to modern ideas based on Greek mythology, where life is like an Olympic race where we have to ‘win’. The winners of Greek mythology found a place for themselves in the afterlife, called Elysium. In Abrahamic mythology, those who align to the will and word of God reach heaven, the rest go to hell. Rebirth takes away the sense of urgency and the quest for perfection that are the hallmarks of Western thought. The Gita does not speak of changing the world. It speaks of appreciating the world that is always changing. Belief in one life makes us want to change the world, control it or resign to the way things are. Belief in rebirth enables us to appreciate all three possibilities, without clinging to any.
”
”
Devdutt Pattanaik (My Gita)
“
She doesn’t do it for justice. Nor even for the satisfaction. She does it because she can. She does it because people like him shouldn’t always be allowed to win.
”
”
Fredrik Backman (The Winners (Beartown, #3))
“
In football, the winner is always one who scores more goals by evading all obstacles. If you complain about obstacles in football, you will only
get time to appeal.
”
”
Sijin BT
“
One parent was aghast at my suggestion that young children shouldn’t always win. She asked, “Are you saying I shouldn’t let my five-year-old win at chess each time we play? He’s just little.” I responded by asking her where she thought it best her child learn about not being the winner all the time. She contemplated this question and conceded that perhaps she did have a role to play in preparing her son for losing on the playground at school.
”
”
Deborah MacNamara (Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One)
“
Fortitude creates winners and champions who aren't always perfect but perfectly persistent.
”
”
Allene vanOirschot
“
In both love and hate, the loser will always win.
”
”
P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar
“
We never lose elections. We always make a coalition with the winner.
”
”
Ljupka Cvetanova (Yet Another New Land)
“
In one of the last speeches of his presidency Ronald Reagan urged Americans always to trade in freedom. “In war, for one side to win, the other must lose. But commerce is not warfare. Trade is an economic alliance that benefits both countries. There are no losers, only winners.”45 Under Trump, Reagan’s party has left behind Reagan’s wisdom, making losers of us all.
”
”
David Frum (Trumpocalypse: Restoring American Democracy)
“
If you cannot control your own home, there is no point trying to lead the world. A true champion is always a leader in his home first.
”
”
Michael B. Endwell (If You Must Succeed!: Untold Secrets Of; Leadership, Winning And Growth: Winning And Success:: Success Habits of great leaders and winners:)
“
Johnny realised he was getting angry again. He didn’t often get angry. He just got quiet, or miserable. Anger was unusual. But when it came, it overflowed.
“They tried to talk to you, and you didn’t even listen! You were the only other one who got that involved! You were so mad to win, you slipped into game space! And you’d have been so much better at saving them than me! And you didn’t even listen! But I listened and I’ve spent a week trying to Save Mankind in my sleep! It’s always people like me who have to do stuff like that! It’s always the people who aren’t clever and who don’t win things who have to get killed all the time! And you just hung around and watched! It’s just like on the television! The winners have fun! Winner types never lose, they just come in second! It’s all the other people who lose! And now you’re only thinking of helping the Captain because you think she’s like you! Well, I don’t bloody well care anymore, Miss Clever! I’ve done my best! And I’m going to go on doing it! And they’ll all come back into game space and it’ll be just like the Space Invaders all over again! And I’ll be there every night!
”
”
Terry Pratchett (Only You Can Save Mankind (Johnny Maxwell, #1))
“
When people are different, and there’s no danger, they argue. Sometimes, even when there is danger, they argue more. It’s always about whose ways are right. That’s one of the clarifying things about a battle … or a war. No matter what the mages and philosophers say, whoever wins is right. That’s because dead men can’t argue, and most historians belong to the winner.
”
”
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
“
World War One wasn’t really Germany’s fault. A hundred years of simmering tensions and entangling alliances (combined with some unexpected leaps in technology that sent the death count soaring) were to blame. Germany could reasonably shoulder some responsibility, but so could Britain, France, and every other country involved. But, as is always the case for wars, the winners got to decide what to do with the losers, and the winning powers (especially France) wanted to weaken Germany
”
”
Bill O'Neill (The World War 2 Trivia Book: Interesting Stories and Random Facts from the Second World War)
“
You know what is so cool, Jenna?"
"What's that, my little man?"
"My friends? All their dads let them win all the time. Board games, cards, video games, sports. My dad? He always tries his hardest because he says he wants me to try my hardest, and because he only wants me to know what it feels like to really win for real, and because he says the only thing better in the world than a winner is a gracious loser."
I am gobsmacked. First of all, the fact that Noah appreciates the fact that his dad has never let him win all these years, and second, that it was actually a conscientious parenting decision as opposed to a juvenile need to win that drives Wayne's actions.
"Yeah, I bet it feels really good to know that you won even though he was trying his hardest to beat you." I hope no one else can see the lightbulb over my head right now.
"It. Is. AWESOME.
”
”
Stacey Ballis (Out to Lunch)
“
The beauty of poker is that while luck is always involved, luck doesn’t dictate the long-term results of the game. A person can get dealt terrible cards and beat someone who was dealt great cards. Sure, the person who gets dealt great cards has a higher likelihood of winning the hand, but ultimately the winner is determined by—yup, you guessed it—the choices each player makes throughout play. I see life in the same terms. We all get dealt cards. Some of us get better cards than others. And while it’s easy to get hung up on our cards, and feel we got screwed over, the real game lies in the choices we make with those cards, the risks we decide to take, and the consequences we choose to live with. People who consistently make the best choices in the situations they’re given are the ones who eventually come out ahead in poker, just as in life. And it’s not necessarily the people with the best cards.
”
”
Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life)
“
Our lives are finite. But life is infinite. We are the finite players in the infinite game of life. We come and go, we are born and we die, and life still continues - with or without us. There are other players - some of them are our rivals - we enjoy wins and we suffer losses. But we can always keep playing tomorrow, until we run out of the ability to stay in the game. And no matter how much money we make, no matter how much power we accumulate, no matter how many promotions we are given, none of us will ever be declared 'The Winner of life'. In any other game, we get two choices. Though we don't get to choose the rules of the game, we do get to choose if we want to play, and we get to choose how we want to play. The game of life is a little different. In this game, we only get one choice. Once we are born, we are players. The only choice we get is if we want to play with a finite mindset or an infinite mindset.
”
”
Simon Sinek (The Infinite Game)
“
Your greatest adversary is always your next opponent.
”
”
Ken Gleed
“
Does the winner take it all?
They say, in the end winner takes it all,
The loser has to bear the despair and fall,
The winner is there standing tall,
And the loser is moving like shadow on the wall,
While the winner is welcomed by the loud applause,
The loser is still contemplating failure and its emotional clause,
Where he feels time and life, in a state of pause,
And is awakened by this thunderous applause,
Not for him, today, not for him,
And a feeling sad takes over him and he feels grim,
The lights in the playground of life turn dim,
And now nobody, just these faint lights and distant stars look at
him,
He stares back at them in the darkness,
With a sense of isolation a feeling of aloofness,
And then a feeling a freshness and a look of brightness,
Descends upon him amidst these moments of darkness,
And he believes again, he hopes again, and he stands again,
With the will not to surrender, and rise and gain,
No matter how much the pain,
His moment of applause, his winning moment, his new reign,
Of triumph and endless glory,
Where he will be the author of his success story,
And he competes again, this time to win without seeking glory,
Because there is always glory in the winner’s story,
So, he runs and he runs, and reaches the finish line,
He looks behind and claims, “today victory is mine!”
For every failure something is always waiting, always there, the
finish line,
Only if you are willing to run again, compete again, and not let one
failure define,
You, your life or your will to win,
For winner may take it all, but he/she can never take your will to
win,
The fish will swim, the fish will be happy as long as it manages to
flap its fin,
So today let the winner take it all, but tomorrow if you have the will
to win, you will win,
Let them sing, “the winner takes it all,
The loser is bound to fall,”
But the loser will rise again and stand tall,
That is when everything else, except him shall lose and fall!
”
”
Javid Ahmad Tak (They Loved in 2075!)
“
You have to remember that often in tennis you win by only the finest of margins, that there is an element of mathematical unfairness built into the game. It’s not like basketball, where the winner is always the one who has accumulated the most points. In tennis, the outcome often turns less on being the better player overall than on winning points at critical times. That’s why tennis is such a psychological sport. It’s also a reason why you should never allow victory to go to your head. At the moment of triumph, yes, drink in the euphoria. But later on, when you watch a match you’ve won, you often realize—sometimes with a shudder—how very close you came to losing. And then you have to analyze why: was it because I lost concentration or was it because there are facets of my game I have to improve, or both?
”
”
Rafael Nadal (Rafa: My Story)
“
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