Too often we as woman feel like we must compete. The world shows us images that are over altered and filtered to perfection.  Social media displays lives more carefully curated than the MOMA, leaving us to question “what’s wrong with this picture, why am I behind the others in this race”. Without even knowing it we’ve become runners in this race called life.

The Fore Runner: You started off strong perusing the vision you had of your life. Ticking off all the boxes. You may have been ahead of others in your social circle. You felt you were on track but what happened?

The False Start(er): In this race of life the gun went off and you feel all the runners have left their mark but you. By your assumption you are lagging. You have goals unmet, finances unsaved, trips not taken, and you look around and it appears everyone else is jumping hurdles and running laps around you.

The Pace Keeper: While others set the pace you’ve just been keeping it. You’re not falling behind, but you aren’t pushing forward either. You’re stuck mid heat and it’s driving you crazy. You feel that you need to break free of the monotony of the daily to-dos. You find your mind drifting off daydreaming about the forks in the road you’ve reached and the “what ifs” of the road not taken.

The truth is that while you may be setting the pace or following behind, there is always room for self examination.

Before social media we only had to be concerned if our neighbor’s lawn was greener or the woman in front of us at spin class was faster. Now, we wake up to a world competing for our attention and making us feel inadequate from miles away. We give attention to our phones, our FB, Snapchat, TikTok before we greet our families laying nearby.

We choose our trips, meals and outfits based on their “Insta” worthiness and fill our “clouds” with 100 versions of that perfect selfie.

We determine the value of the decisions based on likes by people we wouldn’t recognize if we passed them on the street. Via social media promotions, ads, and influencers, we’ve learned the cost of everything, but the value of nothing.

But why? Why do we feel the need to compete? Why do we care what others think? Why isn’t our own voice and opinion enough?

Actual runners don’t watch those in the lanes nearest them. They’ve learned that if you focus on the race of others is a guaranteed way to lose. They must keep their eyes on their own path. Run as no one else is there and win or lose the race based on their own merit. Their interior voice is their only monologue.

I think we can learn a lot about competition from those who live their lives between the actual lines of a track. Run for YOUR life. Make your own goals and set them according to your means and needs. Travel where you want and eat some of the best food (which is normally not the best looking lol).

Don’t be afraid to stay in your lane. Cut out those things/people that are toxic or impeding your road to happiness. Turn your phone off and be in the moment. Leave it plugged in another room and get to it when you’ve started your day, rather than letting it set the tone of your day.

The world will always be there. Set about making your place at your own pace.

 

In a world full of followers, be a leader of your own life.