The Fish Race

My Dad drilled this into me since I was a kid:

My young, egotistical self didn’t want to settle for what I saw as a defeatist attitude. So, I’d opt for the reply:

I had my string of successes, but, turns out, Dad knew best.

People often talk of The Rat Race, running on life’s monotonous treadmill. I’m here to report, The Fish Race is even more insidious.

Swimming upstream, us ambitious guppies giving it all we got. We want to be the best!

But the moment I ended up at the top, finally achieving 1st place, I would find myself jumping into the next pond, where the competition was further heightened.

Exhausted, I would take a deep breath (through my gills), and then get right back to swimming again.

Why? Where does this end?

Here’s the secret: it doesn’t.

Trying to be 1st

Ruthlessly trying to control my Reality

Forever places me in the competition

Always in search of the next pond that needs conquerin’

But, here’s the 2nd secret (a code break, if you will):

All streams lead to the ocean

So, the moment I let go, I can embrace the Reality that’s meant for me

It’s NOT an excuse not to try

In fact, I always expect to do my best

It’s just a shift in approach

I can just accept where I am today

I can surrender to swimming with the stream in the direction that it’s leading me

Because, in the end…

We all end up in the same place