Ladders

Whether by effort or natural talent, your skill exceeds mine. You're better than me. Good for you. But don't for one second; brag, be smug, or put me down because of it.

I compete with myself, my own standards, and wish to improve my ability to do whatever I do simply because I believe in steady progression, and want to help others along the way. If you're better, then be that way, and make an effort to further better yourself. But if you are progressing only so that you can gloat at those below you, then stop progressing, and start questioning your own motives.

When you compete with someone who isn't competing with you, you are creating a false bubble. You create an illusion that another is aggressively improving himself to beat you; a conclusion mistakenly derived from the simple fact that he is progressing. What you do not realize, what lies outside your bubble, are the real reasons for his progression. You are blind to them.

And so you step on me, trying to gain higher footing, trying to BEAT me at whatever it is I do, while you do not realize I am NOT competing with YOU. I am progressing for MYSELF, and here you are pushing me down for some over egocentric reason, halting my progress. You forget that while you were below me, I stretched out my hand and pulled you up. You forget that while you were alongside me, I showed you the road and pushed you on your way. You forget that while you were above me, I gave you my shoulder to step on to reach that new height.

You forgot it all and kicked me in the face.

The moment you do this for any reason, you place yourself below me.

Don't do this to yourself. Keep whatever you've achieved and celebrate.

Don't raise yourself in one area, only to fall in another.

And don't fall beyond the point where I can no longer reach you with my hand to help pull you up again.

While these kicks to my head and seeing you fall below my reach both hurt;

The latter hurts so much more.