THE MOST USEFUL PIECE OF ADVICE I HAVE EVER RECEIVED

“No, Mum, no way I am going to contest for head girl elections ”.

“Well why not?”, said my mother.

“The other girls who are contesting are clearly perfect candidates, I can never beat them”.

“That doesn’t matter”, she replied, “Your biggest competition is the person you see in the mirror, not the

world”.

Those words of wisdom that have proven to be the most useful advice I have ever received echo in my

mind every day and held true especially when I won the elections that year.

Life becomes arduous when you are an ambitious student who strives to be better than everyone. One way

of exhibiting “intellectual greatness” is the JEE, one of the world’s most competitive exams where 1.2

million students appear annually, of which only 10,000 students find themselves getting into the most

prestigious institutions in India. The pressure is tremendous and the competition is fierce. It is common

for aspirants to be told by their teachers that they ought to beat every candidate out there if they wish to

secure their desired rank. This notion that you can either sink or swim has perpetuated the rise in

depression among students as reported by the Times of India.

Comparing yourself with others results in insecurity and resentment. It creates a toxic environment, ruins

our self-esteem and leads to bitterness. Additionally, being afraid of your competition will only lead to

discouragement and unhappiness. Released annually, the World Happiness Report found that negative

emotions are rising in the world at an alarming rate. Moreover, according to the American Psychological

Association, 83% of teenagers are stressed out.

The solution to this problem is to stop comparing yourself with others and start focussing on yourself. No

matter how small the world perceives you, it is imperative that you gain the courage to not quit on your

goals.

That dream university of yours which has an admission rate of 3.4% probably got outstanding

applicants. Does it matter? Absolutely not. Apply, nonetheless. Despite the frightening statistics and

adversity, you do stand a chance of succeeding.

When you improve your performance every day, you unlock an upgraded version of yourself. A more

confident and positive individual.

You focus on your strengths and weaknesses, not others’, thereby, striving for progress and not perfection.

You start valuing personal growth and no longer deem your past failures as a “hall of shame”, instead,

you view them as your stepping stones to success.

Mary Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do

better”. This quote serves as a reminder of a simple truth: to be the best, you need to learn from your

mistakes, not be ashamed of them, and allow yourself to grow.

Finally, as noted above, if you learn to be comfortable with the discomfort of rejection, and failure you

will forever persevere in the accomplishments you seek and be truly unbeatable.