Everything in life can't be measured in terms of wins and losses. Hardly anyone plays the game of life to lose; it just works out that way sometimes. We might be tempted to think we always play to win, but that's not the case either because we're smart enough going in to know that a win isn't possible. David slew Goliath, so goes the biblical story, and perhaps that's an encouragement to always consider coming out on top. You won't know until you've tried, and the implication there is that you must first try. Winning usually takes some luck, but I've noticed that good luck won't come your way until you've first put yourself in a position to accept it when it presents itself. We posture ourselves, in other words, so we'll be ready for it. And if we don't get lucky, it could well be that we at least come out with a tie because we prepared for it.
Let's say, for instance, that you are going up against something that's just too big to beat. An outright win is out of the question, but that doesn't mean we're out of options. Should I fight or not? Can I fight hard enough to at least tie with the beast I do battle with, or can I minimize the effects of the loss? The answers here are yes to both questions. You should fight, and even if you can't come out with a tie, you can minimize the loss. It's like going up against the IRS over taxes. Suddenly coming into some money reminds all of us that some losses are attached to wins, or good luck. The IRS works with the mindset that your good fortune is likewise theirs 'cause they'll be the first ones in line to get what's due them . . . and more, if they can get it. So, let's say a rich relative dies and leaves me
a million bucks, and the IRS steps up and says, "Hold on there a minute, partner. We want half of that." You can accept that, pay up, and be content with half a million, which is a lot more than you had to start with. Or you can say, "Nope, ain't gonna do it without a fight. If you take my money, partner, you'll have to jump through some hoops to get it."
Here's where you've got few chances of winning, but it's also a chance you can fight for a tie, or perhaps to minimize the loss. And even if you just outright lose, you at least have the satisfaction that you fought back. That's always worth something. Everybody likes to see Goliath toppled, so you'll likely encounter some help along the way in your fight against him. Did David kill the giant all by himself, or did he get a little help? He had a slingshot and a small stone, supposedly . . . but he also had God on his side. From my perspective, David had a lock going in, had the big advantage, and the giant fell dead when a rock whacked him in the head. Good shot, little man. Good shot!
I don't know for sure, but I don't think God would ever side with the IRS. Even if there is no God, or at least a God who doesn't get involved in such battles, the underdog has some advantages. A bully's greatest weakness is his arrogance in thinking he can whip you, beat you down. A smart bully picks his fights, doesn't mess with anyone his size or bigger, and that means even the IRS will back off when it goes up against a tougher opponent. Nobody likes taxes, and they sure as hell don't like tax collectors. The court of public opinion is against them, and they are aware of this. Forget outright legal action against them - too expensive and likely a waste of time. It's an option, but a slim chance option. Negotiators have better success against them because compromise is a better possibility. And if you do that, remember that you're playing for no better than a tie . . . and sometimes a tie is almost as good as a win.
Using the IRS as an example might be misleading, so here's another one for you. Let's say you have to have emergency surgery, a lengthy stay at a hospital, and you end up with a half million bucks in charges for that. Your insurance balks, won't pay up, and you've got lots of outstanding debts to deal with. That's when the sharks start circling, wolves go on the hunt, and you're the prey. Here come the bill collectors, the threats, the various actions against you to retrieve the money. I know this story well because that happened to me. Not quite that much money, but a lot . . . enough to ruin me for life. I fought with them. I pushed aside my distrust and suspicions about lawyers, and came up with a good one. I told him what I'd been doing to deal with the sharks and wolves, and he smiled and said, "You're a bill collectors worst nightmare because you're smart and literate." I won that fight, by the way. The insurance company paid more, and I was able to get out from under the big debt by negotiating it down. And they ones who wouldn't negotiate? I just didn't pay them at all, and I got by with it. The statue of limitations expired on those debts some years ago, and I saved my family from financial ruin. I did everything I was supposed to do (like paying big insurance premiums), just
got caught up in a rotten system.
My point? Don't ever let the bully get the best of you without a fight. I didn't win my fight against a corrupt health care system, but I came out with a tie. I ended up paying plenty, but I didn't get ruined. And they would've ruined me, if I hadn't fought back. And maybe, just maybe, I got a little help from upstairs.
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