When you're a kid there is nothing better than being on the winning team. Of course, when you're a kid there is nothing worse than being on the losing team. Notice that all those great, feel-good Disney-esque movies don't ever end with the hometown team losing the big championship game. No, the whole point of these happily-ever-after stories is that the under-dog, schlubby, gave-it-their-all losers are transformed into top-of-the-heap winners.

For adults, except for those few who make their living playing professional sports, winning and losing is rarely as clear-cut as it was in our old football team days. But we do have one event in our grown-up lives that still makes us feel like an instant loser.

Getting fired. No lost basketball game or last place relay race finish has ever felt as …