Preparing to Win

Armin and Eren are two young boys eager to explore every nook and cranny of their little town. If only it weren’t for the bullies… Time and again, they get beaten up by the big guys.

Neither Eren nor Armin is strong enough to show the meanies who’s the boss, but while Eren fights tooth and nail to make their life a living hell, Armin usually just sinks to the ground, waiting for the last punch to finally fall.

One day, Eren sneaks up on the once again defeated Armin and asks him: “Why don’t you fight back? They only keep bullying you because you don’t hit back. Do you always want to stay a loser?

Though he can’t hide the tears in his eyes, despite what Eren believes, even at the tender age of nine, Armin proves himself to be a man of strong comebacks: “No, I’m not a loser — because I don’t run away.”


Winning is easy. Everyone can show up, give it a try, and collect a trophy for their fortune-blessed efforts.

Preparing to win is hard. That one lucky break might take a lifetime of getting beaten, and so sooner or later, most people choose to run away.

Whether you stay and fight or stay and endure, that’s up to you. But remember this: It’s not what happens while you’re on top that matters. It’s what you do when you’re down on the ground that counts.