Coming
in Second
“There
is no such thing as second place. Either you're first or you're
nothing.”
Gabe
Paul
Such
is the deeply held position of collective consciousness—only one
thing matters, and that is winning. Whether we're talking about
baseball, billboard charts, box office, charity runs, marathons,
stock market, money, or Boards of Directors, the one in first place
is celebrated, and all the others are an afterthought. This notion
that it's not okay to come in second is drilled into our heads from
the time we are born. Only the super competitive “get ahead” of
the pack, and coming in second is the same as losing. I beg to
differ.
Self-aggrandizement
seems to come with the territory of being best; over confidence, even
bravado. Often, these traits are most pronounced just before the fall
from grace. The people I know who come in first, are in a constant
struggle to stay on top, to stay relevant, to continue at the same
level of productivity that got them there in the first place.
Toppling off that high pedestal is painful, sometimes even lethal.
Being in second place, on the other hand, has many advantages,
especially in the spiritual arena.
Coming
in second, or third, or even tenth, means that you can take a breath,
take you're time, think it through, experiment, decide what's truly
important and what is not. When you are not the fastest, or the
prettiest, not the smartest, or the wealthiest, you have the
opportunity to step out of the mainstream, out of the collective, and
choose for yourself what matters. What are you called to be and do?
What speaks to your heart and soul? Do you want to spend your
precious life battling for a fleeting moment in first place, or do
you want to spend it being the very best you possible? The pressure's
off! Become yourself, not the collective version of success.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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