Crisis of comparison?

Reality TV, walls, reunions, and top ten lists.  All modern day measuring sticks to let us know if we are doing ok. If we see someone else of similar background or measure doing worse off than ourselves we may feel empowered about our current condition. Conversely, if we fail by comparison, we may feel defeated. As narcissistic and even ridiculous as this may sound, it is a common theme that commentaries are beginning to observe in western culture. Can it be that the deep need for comparison is a symptom of something deeper?

In a recent Fortune magazine article  by Thomas J. DeLong titled "Why Chronic Comparing Spells Career Poison" suggests that the current employment climate, social media transparency, and over-all competitive climate are all combining to act as a scoreboard of sorts that can undermine our lives. He writes, "This is bad for individuals and bad for companies -- when you define success based on external rather than internal criteria, you diminish your satisfaction and commitment."  What a formula for disappointment. In my business we have a saying that keeps our players focused on the next play, which is "The scoreboard is a liar!" Now the scoreboard is everything in sports, but it doesn't tell the true story until the last whistle is blown.

A great example of this mindset came recently when the women of Japan shocked the world by beating team USA in the World Cup. Down 1-0, the momentum seemed to be against Japan. Even the mood of the telecast was that USA would surely go on to become the eventual World Cup champ. The sportscaster covering the game was already beginning to discuss the talk show attention that Alex Morgan was sure to achieve for scoring the only goal of the game up to this point. However, as we all soon saw, Japan refused to believe the scoreboard and instead the hearts of team Japan roared on to eventually tie the game 1-1 in the final minutes of play. In over-time, team USA went on to score again to make it 2-1. While the fans believed the game was lost, team Japan once again tied the game to send it to penalty kicks, and on to their eventual victory.

So why don't we do this in life? You see, while others seek to find relevance in comparisons, the heart of a true champion is measured by their faithfulness with each moment. When the comparison scoreboard knocks on the door of your ego to say "You are losing," the real champion shrugs the statement off for the irrelevance that it really is. Instead, humbly focusing on constructive fundamentals that will eventually cause them to grow and bear fruit.

You and I are in the arena of the real world, where successes and failures are never resting points, but rather data points that make up the flavor of life.  Therefore, we never determine our worth and relevance off of what the scoreboard indicates mid-game. If we are still living, then the clock is still ticking. Keep competing with sound fundamentals instead of being emotionally hijacked by a peer comparison. 

Win Today!

Victor