Article November 2, 1992 Issue

You can be a winner, too!

Realizing the true nature of our purpose in life—and living up to it—brings sure rewards.

Candace H. Berschauer

When we see major political candidates on television, they always have aides, campaign committees, and a huge organization of volunteers backing their efforts. At the local level, on the other hand, the candidate's family and friends are often the mainstays behind the scenes.

A few years ago a member of my family ran for a local political office, and all the relatives joined together to support his bid for election. We were enthusiastic about his integrity and honesty, especially since his opponent's moral suitability was in question. Rather than downgrade the opponent during the campaign, however, we decided to emphasize our own candidate's experience and qualifications. I was grateful that the consensus was to run a clean campaign, because during the previous few years I had become a Christian Scientist, and I was learning that the way individuals think and live determines the success of their endeavors. I was yet to learn, too, that in a broader sense, we can all be winners, whether or not we ever participate in a political contest.

As I licked stamps, wrote advertising copy, posted signs, and manned the telephones, I didn't feel very much like a winner. In fact, as the work intensified and the glamour of the campaign began to wear off, I felt just plain overworked. I started to resent the jobs I was doing and even the candidate himself. It seemed unfair that all my efforts would benefit him but not me. The candidate had a mission, and his goals were being realized; whereas I not only didn't have much of a mission, I also could see no tangible rewards.

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