Competitions in life

With the winter olympics going on, having just watched the finals of Project Superhost and my own exams looming round the corner, the entire atmosphere around me is oozing with competition and stress!

i've always been an advocate of competitions. i thrive in competitions, not cos i win the trophy in all of them but cos no matter whether i get the trophy or not, i win so many other things.

being a believer of evolution, i believe in "the survival of the fittest". hence i also believe it's in most human nature to want to compete... hence the underlying competitor in me. i'm pretty sure i won't be where i am now if not for the presence of competition. i probably would've degenerated into a lazy bum who can't be bothered about studies and working hard for my future. i probably wouldn't have accumulated so many valuable lessons and carved out a path which i can be proud of.

if u wanna win, u'll put in the effort and improve in whatever u do. if u wanna do better than someone next to u, u'll rise up to the challenge and strive towards it. it always touches me to see how athletes clinch the medals cos i know behind all the glamour and few minutes of fame lies lots n lots of hardwork. and the olympics, like any other competition, is an avenue to satisfy this inherent desire to win in humans and hence allow the fit to become fitter, the good to become better and the best.

unfortunately, it's a sad truth that u win some n u lose some in life. in the midst of attaining something, u inadvertently sacrifice another part of you. the teenage olympic athlete may never get to do what most teenage girls get to do like go shopping, watch a movie every weekend... the ultra-competitive schoolmate or career-minded workaholic may slowly lose their friends and family even.

i guess ultimately it boils down to making a choice and knowing how to balance your priorities. what is the perfect balance? nobody knows... it's all up to the individual, isn't it? ur perfect balance may not be someone else's perfect balance. and ur current so-called perfect balance may not be tt perfect. maybe by changing some of the equations, ur life becomes even more balanced? it's all trial and error... that's life huh?