Blog #53 – COMPETITION SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT WINNING
Something that I learned when I was young was that competition was not about winning. Many times I would see how upset my peers were when they were not successful in the games that they played. Their focus was always at having the highest score in any type of contest that they participated in. I always saw competition as something that I enjoyed doing and which allowed me to develop by continuously participating. Competing led me to develop the two rules that have become an integral part of my life and everything that I do. I have always done things that I enjoy. I have always worked at doing the best that I can do in everything that I do.
After becoming a teacher and then a parent, I shared those two rules with my students and my children. I have also made it a point of sharing the two rules with parents of students that I tutor online. It has become the focal point of workshops that I conduct for teachers and students. Too many times students compete for the wrong reasons. Winning should not be about how many trophies are won or how many accolades are received. If you enjoy competing and are always prepared to compete at the best of your ability, you will always feel successful. When I competed, I worked at improving. I challenged myself to set goals and then worked diligently at reaching those goals. My goals were actually the two rules that I stated earlier. I am saddened when my students feel depressed because of an unfavorable result in a contest. Many students spend time trying to determine what they could have done differently to place first. Students that simply try their best, are less likely to be depressed. Even though they may be disappointed, that disappointment disappears quickly when they realize that they have put forth their best effort. The more everyone learns that competition is not about winning, the happier everyone will be.