Life Is Not A Competition

Life is not a competition but it is certainly a natural instinct in every living being. Animals fight over the leadership of a pack or herd. They fight over the last bite of food and land just as we do. We are not that different from animals. We also compete against one another to surpass one another, to fight over leadership and glory. It's all a natural instinct we all have. I have never understood competition. I mean just do your best and it will show through all your work and effort. Why pit yourself against someone else? 

I guess it motivates you to reach higher, set higher goals every single time and that's an amazing thing but it also destroys friendship and tears families apart. Recently, I was reminded of how terrible family competition is. Have you guys ever had your parents constantly compare you to another cousin or nephew or niece? How they are always jealous when a cousin is better off in life than you are probably? 

Life is not a competition. Life is just a journey for all us and how it twists and turns is all up to us and our decisions in life. No one is perfect. Treating life as a competition when you are growing up and then doing the same thing to your kids will do nothing but cause stress and unnecessary tension and grudges between each other. 

Are appearances so important? Is it so important to have face? If you are intelligent and have a talent, then you would not need to rely on words and other people boasting about you for your name and you to be known. No one else's view matters but your own on yourself. There is a Chinese saying that goes: "if you have talents, it will automatically be found by others with telling anyone." You don't need someone to be spreading the word for you. If everyone understood that, then there would be no need for competition between people. Teachers and professors will see your talent and nudge you in the right direction. 

For example: you have good graphic design skills. You post your work on a blog and people who come across it will like it if it catches their eye. If you have good writing skills and spread blog posts around the net, people who love the topic you are talking about will immediately share it with others. And your presence will multiply and you will be known.

Everyone goes at their own pace. Everyone makes their own choices. Everyone has their own talents and will be found and shine on their own. Don't be jealous of what others have. Don't compete because you don't want someone to be better than you. Just do your best and strive at your own pace.