Quick.

We all want to be the fastest, we all want to finish first. First means fast.. Finish lines... Races. Life is a race no? But what kinda of race, who's competing, what's won once the finish line is reached.. Where the finish line even is.. Varies. 

Like everything. 

Granted. 

In this life race, you're either competing with yourself and the world, or yourself and others.. There is a difference.  

Now, I always think about that old story, the tortoise and the hare.. The big race. And somehow slow ass turtle won, you would think the hare would've won, stronger legs, great quality for the race.. But the hare wasn't thinking about winning the race, just beating the turtle, while ridiculing him for being slower than him.. If the race meant more than the opponent, the hare wouldn't have compa(red) himself to the tortoise.. Despite him being his competitor, winning the race was the main objective. The tortoise on the other hand could care less about the hare and his advantage over him in the race.. Sure the hare was fast, and tortoises are naturally slower.. But even that didn't stop him. His concern was the race. And he won the race... While the hare embarrassed and now a loser, all because he underestimated his opponent and slept on him literally. 

So in life's race we have tortoises and hares. We all want to be hares, quick and  fast. No one wants to be slow ass tortoise.. But in reality it's always the tortoise that wins... The hares of the world tire themselves out seconds before they reach the finish line.. Sometimes even half way depending on how fast they are.. Wasting their fast energy on everything but the race. Being quick is always a plus, but where you choose to be quick determines if its wise.. Some situations calls for us to slow down. So in the race of life... The speed will vary. But even if you're quick like the hare, don't be the hare, the hare was so quick he slipped up and lost focus of what matte(red).. The moment he focused more of his attention on his competitor and less on his progress in the race, he lost. 

In life's race, your only competitor is you..   And the finish line. That's it. Fuck everyone else, sure you can be aware that you're not the only one reaching for the same finish line but aware and devotedly focused are two different things. No matter how fast you are, pacing yourself based on the pace of the next person will always slow you up..  The hare was physically faster than the tortoise but because he felt the tortoise was slow, he was gonna play around.. Take naps and shit. He based his pace on his opponent's speed, and he lost. Had he set his own pace, and not on the tortoise, he'd easily won the race but he didn't take the race nor his opponent seriously.. In the end, he was the joke.

It's funny, cause the tortoises of the world win every time because they're worried about themselves.. Their pace, their eyes on the prize. Competitors aren't a factor. 

Some people like to compete and others like to win. Some just like the challenge, others value the victory. There's people that will try to compete with you in whatever aspect just for the sake of it, and some for the prize. That's why it's not wise to focus so much on 'competitors' .. Some aren't even there to win it, you are.. But if you focus on your competitors and who they are and what's their qualities and blah blah.. You're doing too much.. You're not focusing on you, the race, the finish line and how are you going to get there quickly.. All those things to consider will definitely make you faster in your race.. You can't slow anyone else down unless you slow yourself down first, you can focus on you beating your competitors.. Or focus on winning the race. What's more important? And if its beating your competitors.. You're racing for the wrong reasons. 

Like I said, your only competitor is yourself and the finish line.. Even if someone is on the same path as you doesn't mean they're running the same race.. That's another reason why it's not wise to focus so much on 'competitors' some could be a figment of your imagination. If anything, you should use the feeling of competition you may get from others as fuel in your own race to the finish line.. Work smarter, finish quick and clean. 

Don't be so quick, you might end up like the hare... Pace yourself in your race.. So when you finish you can actually breathe.