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By Robert Wood, Senior Social Media Advisor PSF

Every living thing is wired to win.  Animals, plants, and humans naturally strive to succeed in various endeavors and tasks right from inception.  Roses grow through cracks in the concrete if necessary, babies use crying and cuteness to get what they want (you don’t have to tell them to do so), and many animals must win in battle to survive or eat.  Unfortunately some of us humans loose our winning wiring at various points in our lives for various reasons. A very important element involved in restoring and/or maintaining that winning worldview. In order to be a consistent winner in the game of life you must have a winning worldview.

Your worldview consists of the mental lenses through which you view the world, and yourself within the world.  It can be expanded through education, accurate information, and diverse social interactions. Your worldview isn’t the only thing that may need to change for your winning wiring to be restored but it is one of the most important components.  Please understand that your current conception of yourself is based on a version of you which may need re-wiring. You were born wired to win. As children we believe we can do just about anything until we are told different by other people (usually adults) or shown different by our environment.  Once that winning wiring is restored you will become the best version of yourself. In essence your current mental construct of yourself and the world we live in may need to be revisited and upgraded. Once you are rewired, like the electrical system of a fine car – perhaps a Rolls Royce, Ferarri, or Bently – you are once again that top of the line vehicle in top form and once again wired to win.  It all starts with a winning worldview.

Albert Einstein (one of the most famous critical thinkers ever) once said, “The solution to a problem will never come about from the same level of understanding that created the problem in the first place.”  Your worldview is your level of understanding and your views about the world. If you don’t look at the world and see it as a situation you can thrive in, no matter how tough it may be, chances are you will not thrive.  All too often people hear about other people doing major things and don’t believe that they, or those close to them, are actually capable of such feat. When you have a winning worldview you look at things that are hard to do and if they are within you physical and mental capacity to do so you say to yourself I can so that and set out confidently to do it.  A winning worldview gives you impetus to winning actions and a winning mindset. A person with a winning worldview not only aspires to win themselves but also looks to create as many winners as possible in any situation they’re involved in. That’s another reason a winning worldview is a huge part of being wired to win. Let me illustrate with a very relevant example.

A great example of someone with a wired-to-win worldview is Dirk Van Velzen.  He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Prison Scholar Fund. He’s also a great friend of mine.  While incarcerated Dirk took a long hard look at himself and the world around him. He decided the best way to become the winner he was born to be was through education.  As he took action, as winners do, on getting back to who he really is through education he also noticed other inmates hungry for education as part of rehabilitating themselves as well.  Rather than just feeling sorry for them, Dirk took action. He was incarcerated himself so it was difficult with many obstacles. He also had a constraint on his time because he was studying for his own college degree.  His dad was paying for his education but that wasn’t enough for a real winner like Dirk. Remember, the worldview of a real winner requires that as many people win in any situation they’re involved in as possible. What did Dirk do?

He started the Prison Scholar Fund so other incarcerated students all over America could receive the same gift of education which was changing his life. Now he’s out and he’s making it possible for even more incarcerated parents, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and others to get the life changing gift of education.  Why do I call education a life changing gift? Because it changes your worldview. It brings opportunity into your life and gives you a feeling of accomplishment. I am personally one of the people affected by Dirk’s winning worldview and the winning effects of education.  You change your worldview, you change your world and the way you see yourself within it. A winning worldview is definitely a major attribute of anyone who is truly wired to win. If you’re not already wired to win please work on your worldview. If you are, please maintain it.  The world needs more winners who create winners.