DR JOHN : ZEN AND THE ART OF LOSING AT BRIDGE

Far too many bridge players can't cope with the shame and stigma of losing at bridge. They allow their wretched performances to plunge them into deep despair. Their inability to win makes them feel down, depressed, dispirited, distraught, destitute and devastated. They let each losing experience eat away at their dwindling self-esteem, self-confidence and self-belief. But the question I chose to ask is this ....... what the hell is wrong with losing ?

As I see it , there are so many positives to losing, as revealed in my new book " Zen And The Art Of Losing At Bridge ". My thought provoking and inspiring masterpiece can't help but help remove all the destructive self-doubt and self-loathing that comes with being a born loser. Each chapter is packed full of articles, all of which offer the reader useful guidance and advice..........as these snippets from the book clearly prove :

- Never see yourself as a loser, but more as a big player ( an essential fall guy or lamb to the slaughter ) in the grand scheme of things

- Believe in the mantra that going into losing battle, only to be carved up by your opponents, is indeed an act of stunning bravery

- It pays to go down smiling

- There's nothing wrong with being a loser since you're bound to become one of the crowd

- If losers are by definition non-winners, then the statistical reality is this : in a field of a 100 , it's 99% certain you will be a loser ( irrespective of how bad you are at the game )

-Never beat yourself up about losing : it can be much more fun beating up partner instead

- Rationalise how wasting 20 hours a week for umpteen years on losing bridge has become an integral part of your self-actualisation

- Learn mind-relaxation techniques , which are essential when partner bids and plays like a moron

- Learn how to develop an extremely thick skin so as to protect your fragile ego

- How to reconcile your passion for losing bridge with reneging on your family commitments

- View your 40% as 40/40 on the boards which were the only ones that mattered to you

- Learn to live with the fact that if you consistently lose , God doesn't like you

- Redefine yourself as a " might-have-been-winner" who never had an even break

- Rejoice more when you lose badly , in that no one will ever accuse you of cheating

- Master the art of blame transference and free yourself of all guilt

- Learn instant meditation techniques to suppress any lurking desires to engage in self-recrimination and self-abuse