Welcome back to Off Track. No guests, no scripts. Just me, exploring human connection and what it really means to Talk Human.
Are you competing to become better, or comparing yourself to feel better?
This week's insight comes from my brilliant conversation with comedian and entrepreneur Shawn Chidiac. Despite everything he's achieved at just 29, Shawn doesn't consider himself successful. He's fiercely competitive, but he refuses to compare himself to others. And it all comes down to something his mother once told him: "You'll never be them, and they will never be you."
That got me thinking about the two C's: competition and comparison. One can drive us forward, while the other can leave us feeling insecure, inadequate and even resentful.
I get personal about my own encounters with the green-eyed monster. Comparing houses, cars, job titles and success, and sometimes finding myself resenting people who had absolutely nothing to do with my own insecurities.
But there's a flip side. Can competition also become unhealthy when we're never satisfied with what we've achieved? When does the pursuit of success start getting in the way of fulfilment?
Ultimately, the difference comes down to whether we're focused on our own progress or someone else's position.
Honest, reflective and straight off my chest and off the cuff.
Welcome to Off Track.