Growing up in a system
that crowns competition is unfortunate but remains the story of every one of
us. It is a daunting task to live up to the expectations of such a system as it
forgets about your unique capabilities, capacities and talents but focuses on
some goal set for every person in a particular class, peer group, or
generation. How many times have we seen a young girl who may have been the
greatest singer of her generation lose her dream because she is made to compete
in calculus and algebra or a boy who would be a great scientist if allowed to
explore his inquisitive nature only to be tagged, “destructive” and placed in
the arts class? Competition simply does not bring out the best from us.
You
can then understand the reasons behind my problems with the problem part of
competition. Left to me I would create a world without competition. A world
where you become all God has earmarked for you without struggling to outdo
another person. Such a world seems perfect in my mind until I get to the field
of sports and imagine how gutless football would be without competition. Competition
gives it life!
So
I have grown to the balance that the best way to operate in our competitive
systems is to compete only with the one person that matters in the field – you.
Stretch yourself beyond the limits of your last success story. Grow up and grow
BIG within you. Increase your capacity; enlarge your coast. Don’t settle for
good when best is just around the corner.
I am a slow walker, but I never walk back. – Abraham Lincoln
If
you do find yourself in a field that encourages external competition set your
mind that you are not trying only to
do better than your competitors but to be the best you can be. The formula is:
NEVER STOP! It is almost impossible to beat a man who won’t stop. Many give in
for speed and outshining their peers when all they need to do is set their
hearts on their goals and keep moving – no matter how slow – towards it.
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