Life Is Not A Competition, But We Are Measuring You Any Way
We find ourselves lagging behind on our journey, comparing ourselves, feeling bad for not being where we should be, for not meeting our own or others’ expectations. We feel bad about ourselves for not fitting all the boxes, and then… we seek support, and what we hear is:
“Life is not a competition,” “the path is different for everyone,” “we are all different,” “we need to consider each person’s context”
… and so on. Phrases that offer a bit of peace and inspire you to have a different perspective or at least to consider that maybe you shouldn’t feel the way you do, perhaps it’s all in your head. But then you start to wonder…
Life is not a competition; however, from minute one in life, your “abilities” are being graded with a number. You were a child when you already knew you had to be the best in class.
If you weren’t, your position in the race was clear.
The education system has ensured that this is the case. For years, you’ve known your place in the world in relation to others. You know that you’re either first or last, or simply one more in the crowd.
The system has made it clear where you stand in the track race and measures your running abilities when what you know is swimming, or flying, or simply be a good cheerleader.
We want to stop comparing ourselves, but wherever we look, there’s your measurement — how many likes, how many followers, how many claps.
Life is not a competition, but we have designed it to be so. Our happiness depends on numbers, and fitting into the metric system determines your competitiveness in life.
Don’t worry, it’s not a competition, but we’ll let you know where you stand.
