A more helpful focus

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33

Comparison is the thief of joy. – Teddy Roosevelt

Comparing ourselves to others is often not helpful. Sometimes our comparisons are about genetic things, like being taller, and sometimes about things others can do that we wish we could. Sometimes our comparisons are motivating, sometimes damaging. We can be most things but we can’t be everything. When we make comparisons, we’re often comparing others’ best features against our average ones. It’s like being right-handed and trying to play-left handed. Comparisons between people are a recipe for unhappiness unless you are the best in the world, which is a pretty narrow field. At worst, when we compare ourselves to others we end up focusing our energy on bringing them down instead of raising ourselves up.“There is one thing that we are better at than other people: being ourselves. This is the main game”. Shane Parrish.

When we start with this view, we see things more clearly. No longer are we focused on where we stand relative to others. Instead of worrying about others, our focus can be on how we can improve. Life becomes about being a better version of ourselves. There is freedom in doing this. We know that success and excellence look different for each of our students, and we want them to strive for success in the “competition” against themselves, so that who they are tomorrow is stronger and more capable than who they are today.

Tim Watson
Principal