Sunday, October 7, 2012

Seisen Festival 2012: How to Win at Everything in Life


He did it again. My son. Yesterday, he won the top grand prize at a raffle at a school festival again this year. The prize was a trip for two, all expenses paid, to New York, New York, or another destination of your choice.


I volunteered to help out at the Kiwi booth. But, boy! Standing up from 7:30 am until 5 pm straight sure was killing my feet! 

It's not the first time he's won... In fact, I can't really remember how many times he's won. Last year he won one of the grand prizes at Bingo... He also won 5 times the year before; three or four times the year before that, and several times the year before that.

It doesn't surprise me that he wins. It doesn't surprise me when we win. I expect to win. We always win.

That's right. Not only does my son always win, so do I. So does my wife.

This time we won the trip to for two New York City (or the destination of our choice); two years ago, I won the grand prize vacation to Okinawa and a stay at Club Med.

In my life, from raffles and Bingo games, I've won vacations to Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, one vacation around the world, a home TV and stereo entertainment center, a professional bicycle..... Just to name a few...

When my wife and I got married, she won a trip to Hawaii for four people... That was convenient for our wedding ceremony....


The smiling guys cooking up lamb chops!

But back to my son. He always wins. My wife always wins. We always win. We have a reputation at our school as an incredibly lucky family because we always win.


So today I want to tell you how you can always win. In fact, it's easy. Just remember one important thing: Whether it is a bingo or a raffle or a drawing, or whatever; remember that if your children are healthy and you are spending the time together with them and your loved ones, that alone makes you a grand prize winner in life! Never forget that. And, if you do remember that, and stay positive, you'll see your "luck" change and you will start to win.

It's all in your mind, my friends!


Sometimes I go to Charity Bingo at my children's school and see my friends and they always say, "I can't believe it! You guys always win!" Then my friends will turn their smile upside down into a frown and add, "We never win!"

Well, of course they never win. Heck no! They just said, "We never win!"

If people say, "I never win!" then how do they expect to win? 

Hasn't everyone heard of "Self-fulfilling prophesy?" If you say "I never win!" then you will never win. It's pretty simple isn't it?

If you want to win, you gotta believe in yourself. Do you think the Wright Brothers could have ever flown a plane if they said, "We'll never fly!"


I traded caps with my friend at the Bangladesh booth. Boy! Do those Bangladeshi's cook up some killer Tandoori chicken! Sweet and moist!

Whenever I go to the school or charity Bingo, I am happy. I don't really care about "winning" a prize. Why? Because just by being there at the Bingo with my wife and son having fun, enjoying life and time together, and seeing all our friends, WE HAVE ALREADY WON! Even if we don't win a trinket or a prize, we won because we're alive, we're healthy and we're having fun together....

That's the key words here; we're alive, we're healthy and we're having fun together.

Do you get it? We are out with our family, having fun; having excitement. Sometimes we "win," sometimes we "lose" but, ultimately, we win because we are together and having fun and spending time.... What more could a person want?

I know. I have a daughter who I love deeply. But she was very ill as a young child and I spent many countless nights at her bedside wondering if that night would be the last. Oh how I would have given the world to take her to school and watch her smiling as she played Bingo. Oh how I would have traded anything I have to get back those days and given her a regular old childhood. Oh, what joy and emotion we could have shared and instead of quiet nights at the hospital, I would have loved to spend those evenings with her at school, eating chips and drinking soda and playing Bingo....

But, for me, that is past. I swore that I would never miss my children's time again after that. And I don't. 


The winning all-volunteer crew of the New Zealand booth. Thanks my friends!

Spending the short fleeting time with your children while you can is winning in every sense of the word.

If your kids are healthy and you have the time to spend with them at a school function playing Bingo, or even reading a book together then, trust me, you have already won..... You are alive. You are together. You and your child are healthy? You are a winner.

So remember, my friends, what winning really is. Is it getting a package of trinkets or tickets to go somewhere or is it spending a lovely time together and giving your child your complete and total self and your dedication and time?

So for this Sunday morning, look at your children. Do you have a happy and healthy family? Yes? Then remember, that whether it is a bingo or a raffle or a drawing, or whatever; if your children are healthy and you are spending a fun time together with them, that alone makes you a grand prize winner in life! Never forget that.

So smile and say, "Yes! I won!"


And finally, my son with his grand prize certificate. Actually, besides the Top Prize, we also won two of the other Top 50 prizes. Count that in with a day outside helping friends and volunteering to make this world a better place, it was a day of constant winning! (Look at that smile! That kid has just got to win, right?)

See also: Winning at Raffles and Bingo and Winning at Life Are Exactly the Same! Here's 5 Simple Tips on How to Win at Both! http://bit.ly/OdYeHI

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