2020-06-20 21:13:51
The Best Life Needs No Trophy
It seems almost everything is competitive. People compete in an amazing array of contexts—from the job, to the home, to just about any arena you can imagine. For an example of how out of hand our competitiveness has become, just think about the fact that there are people today who make a living in competitive eating tournaments. One of the challenges of pursuing a satisfying life is that there is simply no competition. You will never live a better life because of the failure of another, nor a worse life for someone else’s success. See your satisfaction in personal terms; your choices need not be justified to anyone or by anyone.
Paul has been swimming for more than seven decades. He has set records in his age group and won so many races that he’s been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. But he’s never had more fun in the pool than with the swimming club he helped found.
“Most swimming clubs are focused on training for specific competitions. Everything is competitive. We wanted more from a club than training, exercise, and an occasional race,” Paul explains. “We wanted to create a friendly atmosphere for people who wanted to share their common love for swimming. Basically, we wanted to have fun, make friends, maintain good health, and improve as swimmers.”
Doris has been swimming with the club for two years and can’t tell you what her best time is, or her average time. “Swimming with the club has helped me to improve my stroke, but I really don’t care how fast anybody swims,” Doris says. “I don’t even care how fast I swim, even though I swim three to four miles a week. It is good for my circulation, and it makes me feel good.”
“These are the greatest people in the world,” Paul adds. “My life is more fun now. That is what I wanted when we started, and I have it.”
Men and women over forty who had above-average feelings of well-being were four times less likely to weigh their happiness and success against those of others.
@motivatedsoul
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