The Best in the World: Part 1

When thoughts converge....I was reflecting on a talk/sermon I heard recently online, which has stuck with me.  The central theme was "What happens when you have a dream that you're certain is the plan for your life, and the dream comes true, and the dream is taken away?"  The speaker was referring to a company that he built from nothing, led to the heights of success and then lost in a lawsuit.

I had a dream also, when I started my network marketing business three years ago.  I would transition seamlessly from my unionized, government job to independence, serving as an example and inspiration to others who felt stuck in their jobs or lives.  It was going to be great.  So many people would find happiness and fulfillment after following my example and bravely plunging into the unknown.  But it didn't happen, and I had a series of "pride-ectomies", by which we requested financial assistance for most of the children's activities.

Two years into my business, I received verbal assurance from someone high up in the company I represent, that "...we love sparrows and eagles equally, but of course, our primary interactions are with the high flying eagles."  Ouch.  But at least I knew where I stood in the scheme of things, and the ability to move freely under the radar isn't necessarily bad.

Fast forward a year, and I found myself encouraging, exhorting, cheerleading others in my line of business who were discouraged by the constant social media barrage of "success stories" from "top earners" who had gotten off to a "fast start."  "Don't worry,"  I said.  "There are more of us than there are of them.  A LOT more.  We're in good company; we just don't know about each other."  This was as much for my own benefit, as for theirs.

I don't have this problem in the world of skating.  I know that I'm in the top half of all skaters everywhere, and probably much higher than that for (the remaining) skaters my age.  I'm not envious of Olympians.  I'm not compared to them or made to feel bad.  My efforts are not belittled, my progress not compared to others.  I'm running my own race.

Then the convergence...the transience of any dream that depends on people...lessons learned from years of figure skating, other people's definitions of success.  Click!  Out of nowhere came the thought, "What would it be like to be the second-best figure skater in the world?"  Pretty awesome.  Second-best in the WORLD.  There are a lot of people in the world.  Would being a world silver-medalist represent failure?  How could it possibly?

Most faith traditions, and even some humanistic ones, espouse a unique purpose, a mission or a race to individuals' lives.  Within this framework, a life well-lived is one where a person has fulfilled his or her unique purpose and run his or her race.  Material success or athletic prominence may or may not be part of the purpose or mission.  It may appear for a time and then vanish.  Kindness, charity and humbleness are on equal footing with material wealth, medals and fame.  Think St. Francis of Assisi.  Think Mother Theresa.  Is it possible for everyone to have an equal shot at being best in the world, by successfully running his or her race?  I think maybe it is.