Are You Better Today?

Sarah was nine years old when she decided to try running a real race at school. She consulted with her coach, who helped her practice and train diligently, and she became a skilled runner.

When race day came, Sarah took off with eight other racers and came in last place. She expected her coach to be disappointed, but instead, he was excited. "You ran that race in 18 seconds! I thought you might do it in 20, but you beat what I thought would be your best score!"

Sarah said, "But I came in last place." The coach replied, "But you beat your own personal best. Today, you set a brand new record in your life. Winning isn't about beating everyone else; it's about being better today than you were yesterday."

Have you ever stopped to consider that? We sometimes get so caught up in comparing ourselves to others that we don't feel like we're making progress. In truth, you could be setting your own personal best records every day and not even realize it!

It's only natural to have people we look up to and want to emulate. We all have those figures in our lives that we consider the picture of success. For you, it might be someone driving a particular car, living in a particular neighborhood, or with a specific job title. For others, it might be something as simple as a good family situation. We set those people up as the standard of excellence in life and don't feel we'll truly make a difference until we get to their level.

The truth of the matter is that you just might be winning right now, even though it's not at the level you are looking for. Even more surprisingly, there could be people who are looking at you as their idea of "making it" and succeeding. Imagine that!

The only question you need to ask right now on your journey is, "Am I better today than I was yesterday?" Maybe it's not some giant leap forward, but did you learn something new that you are using now? Are you trying just a little bit harder today than you were before?

Whatever the case, take a moment to actually notice and acknowledge it. Celebrate the win, no matter how small.

I have a shiny black ink pen that I bought for a presentation I was doing on a cruise ship. It was the first time I'd ever spoken on a cruise, and I wanted to commemorate the moment. Now, every time I pull that pen out to use it in a presentation, I remember what it stood for and can once again celebrate that milestone in life for a moment.

Do the same for yourself. Yes, keep that "ultimate success" picture in mind, but don't be afraid to celebrate where you are today. You may not have taken first place yet, but you're doing better than you think!