You don't need to Overcome Your Successes, only Your Failures

  "You're either buried, or you're going to come back." Coach broke out into a smile. His team was down 70-40 at halftime. But, he was smiling -- still -- because he knew every moment was a coaching moment; Every day was a lesson to give.
  "It might be we will be able to catch them, or it might be we can't. We're big enough for this.  Play every play as if it is a mini game -- just seek to win that one play -- and who knows but what all the plays will fall together we'll come back. But, we can only give ourselves the opportunity if we play well in each possession, and in each defensive effort."
  Coach paused. "You don't learn how to win until you learn how to lose. You're going to get beat, and you better learn how to handle it. If you let Chris Paul's burning you on a three-pointer convince you you can't stop him, you won't. Did you see the look of resolve in James Harden's face the other day? Champions aren't champions just because of their talent; They're champions because of their hearts. They resolve to do better. They look for openings to do better. They don't let their failures stamp them as failures, but they overcome their failures. You're only a failure if you accept failure. You beat these guys once, and you can do it again."
   As I saw the coach turn and walk out the tunnel, I thought how every day is a coaching moment
and every day there's a lesson to give. If you are going to coach, you've got to teach how to deal with every situation, including being down by 30 points.
   And, I thought how important it is to preach belief -- And, how this is the best moment of all to teach it. If a person doesn't believe in themselves, they won't overcome their problems. The most important moment for teaching belief is when there's the least reason to believe. This is the moment the players could crack. Your players don't need to overcome their successes, only their failures. So, this is the moment you must teach them. It is in the darkest moments that the coach must coach the most.
   Even so it is with us and life. If we would lift each other, we must learn to lift each other at the darkest moments. And, we must believe in each other in the darkest moments. If we don't believe, how can we convey belief? How can we persuade the other person to believe?
   Just as a coach must do his best coaching when his team is losing, so we must muster our best effort to help others when it seems they are beyond help.
   The greatest friend is the one who lifts another from his greatest fall.