My dad shared the following poem with me when I was a kid and I’ve never forgotten it. It was written by Pat Williams, a former NBA General Manager. I shared it during a sermon I recently preached on Men at Work while illustrating the seriousness of taking responsibility. Since numerous people asked me for a copy after the message I thought it might be good for the entire void.

Winners vs. Losers

When a winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong;” When a loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t      my fault.”

A winner works harder than a loser and has more time; A loser is always “too busy” to do what is necessary.

A winner goes through a problem; A loser goes around it, and never gets past it.

A winner makes commitments; A loser makes promises.

A winner says, “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be;” A loser says, “I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.”

A winner listens; A loser just waits until it is his turn to talk.

A winner respects those who are superior to him      and tries to learn something from them; A loser resents those who are superior to him      and tries to find chinks in their armor.

A winner feels responsible for more than his job; A loser says, “I only work here.”