The day I found out in JSS 2 first term my friend came first in class with just one point higher than my score, I became withdrawn. From that time, my happiness vanished whenever exam or test results were released and my friend did better than me.
For instance, if my friend had 80% and I had 78% , I would say to myself, "If only I had scored 82% or higher!" I always believed that I needed to outperform everyone else in order to be satisfied. At least, I had to outperform my friends and be the best in my clique.
Little did I know that my belief had caused unnecessary envy, malice and subtle hatred in my heart towards my friend. Instead of cheering her up to improve in her academics, I found myself trying to discourage her from reading so that I could always be the first.
I didn't realize that my satisfaction was not to be derived from beating everyone else to the first position.
I didn't understand that I was to strive was against the standard set by the school which was 100%, to get as close to it as possible.
However, my perspective changed at some point. I said to myself, "I am not going to measure my own progress by my friend's performance. Instead, I am going to measure my progress according to the standard set by the school. I am going to measure my progress by how close I am to the best version of myself."
Measure your progress by how close you are to the best version of yourself, not by comparison with others.
From then on, I never had to envy anyone to achieve academic progress, instead, I stopped competing with others and I started looking at the standard and how close I was to my best. I felt much better that I was free from the spirit of competition! My mind was no longer occupied with undue comparison or envy towards others who did better than me.
I was able to genuinely celebrate the progress of others, because my focus had had shifted from being self-centered to being God-centered. God gave me all that I have: intellect, talents, and gifts, and I must produce fruit that meets His expectation, not the expectation of men; definitely not to show that I am better than others.
You can be free from the spirit of competition.
Dear student, what would you rather choose? Unhealthy competition or contentment with putting in your best? Self-centeredness or God-centeredness?
It is possible to be free from the spirit of competition today, if you allow God help you.
We are rooting for you as you begin to relate with your classmates as partners, not competitors.
💗👏🏼
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