Comparisons

There something about swimming and just being in water in general that really gets me thinking. Maybe it's because I can't hear anything or even talk for that matter, and for me that's as rare as Haley's comet flying by.

Anyway, I am swimming along and a new female swimmer joins my lane and is swimming much faster than I am. I get a little competitive and start swimming faster to keep up. After a lot of effort and many laps later, I see that she is swimming with some sort of hand paddles; and I realize I am trying to compete with someone with an unfair advantage. (That is when I start to pull her hair and call her a cheat!)

Isn't it that way in life. Sometimes we compare ourselves and thus compete with someone who has an inborn advantage. That is why comparing and certainly competing to find value is so destructive because none of us are on a level playing field with someone else. Although I was grateful that this swimmer's speed inspired me to try and swim faster, I should be content with the fact that I am doing my best and not feel like I have to be faster or even as fast as someone else. Or at the very least, not feel like I have to hurt her to feel better about my weak performance compared to hers.:-)