Now, more than ever, success has become a competition. It is no longer about making a contribution to the world, but rather making the most impactful one. We practice this mentality nearly every day. In fact, we thrive on it when comparing ourselves to those around us. It is no wonder that satisfaction is a foreign concept.
We can easily become discouraged when surrounded by the rapid modern-day innovators. Last week, I went to a scholarship banquet for rising college students. There were wooden chairs aligned on a stage facing a crowd full of anxious parents. I took my seat, and, like all the other kids there, I was eager to hear my name called to receive a sum of money for my future endeavors. As one of the scholarship presenters walked up to the microphone, I felt my muscles tense in anticipation.The presenter began with an introductory speech about the Class of 2016. He anonymously listed the achievements of the other students around me.
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He announced, “This class featured students with perfect SAT scores.” I looked around at the smiles of the children who matched the description.
He trailed on, “Some were captains of more than two sports teams.”
That was not me.
“We had one intern at Google.”
I did not do that.
“We had people who founded their own research labs, invented cutting-edge software technology, and one student even had over 5,000 volunteer hours.”
I sank deeper into my chair, knowing that what I had done sounded nowhere near as impressive as the rest of the list.
As you may have inferred, I did not get the scholarship. I thought that I had done a lot prior, but after this experience, I felt dejected about my seeming lack of activity these past four years. I began to second guess my choices and wonder where I would be now if I had done what the rest of the students had.
People, currently, are doing more at a younger age than is conceivable for some of our minds. It truly is commendable, but that is no reason to shut down and count our achievements as less. Let us quit this race. We do not have to define our contributions by the size of others and certainly do not need to measure achievement by age. Instead, we should strive to be our best, work diligently toward our passions, and relish in the fact that any step taken forward is progress nonetheless.
Thus, if you are reading this, think about what you have accomplished over the past couple years. Only you. Chances are, you have learned or done something that has had a positive effect on those around you. Ripples can become waves.
Carve your own path and commend yourself.
