I'm highly competitive. I trash talk. I am driven to be the best. But why does everything in life have to be a competition? I've got news for you - 99% of you - are not competitive athletes. Your livelihood does not depend on being the best. You are not Lebron James.
As I get older, I’m starting to understand that not everything in life has to be a competition. I cannot be the best at everything. And just because I am not the best at something does not mean I am failing.
For those of us who have grown up as competitive athletes, it’s very hard to stop living that life. We find self worth in winning. When we become “regular people” we have a really hard time accepting not everything is a competition to be won.
This is honestly probably one of my greatest struggles. When I am not the best, I beat myself up. If I fail at something or achieve things at a different rate than someone else, I question my value. I internalize criticism in a way that hinders my self love.
Being that competitive also bleeds into my personal life. I sacrifice my own sanity and self care to be there for others. I often think I’ve allowed others to take advantage of me because I’ve belittled my own value.
Bottom line - if you try to win and be the best at everything, you will fail. Life is not a race. Life is not a game. Finding ways to cheer yourself on for how awesome you are and not allow the other pieces to become your failures is what matters. Not being the best at something does not mean you are worth any less than anyone else.
The beauty in life is that human beings compliment each other. We have things we are amazing at and things others are amazing at - that’s the only possible way for this world to keep spinning.
The only way to win at life is to be the best version of yourself you can be and to love yourself because of who you are - and all that entails.