This is a topic I've pondered as a mother. And who hasn't said to their kids at some point... come on, let's see who gets there first, let's see who wins... and things like that...
In a way, we have all been educated in a culture of competitiveness. Modern society forces us to be better than others, to get better grades, to compete at work to achieve our goals, and often even to keep our jobs.
However, if we think about it... what kind of education do we want to offer our children: do we want to teach them to see their classmate, their friend, their cousin, their neighbor, their sibling, the person next to them... as a rival to defeat, as someone to beat and compete with to achieve better results... and that they walk that path alone and in a hostile environment... or do we want to offer them an education where the verbs HELP, EMPATHIZE, SHARE, CONNECT, COOPERATE prevail... where the other is no longer an adversary to be beaten but someone to ADD to?
My answer and my proposal come from the following reflection that I want to share with you today:
- COMPETE, yes, but WITH YOURSELF, to improve every day. Strive to achieve our goals and to be better every day... and this requires perseverance, believing in oneself, WORKING HARD and often looking at others who are better than us, to motivate ourselves and strive to be like them in those areas where they excel. Learn from the best, and you can learn something from everyone... Make the CHALLENGE and motivation to surpass ourselves.
- COOPERATE WITH OTHERS. Be able to combine efforts and wills, to work as a team, to listen, to empathize, to SHARE projects and dreams and to SPREAD them... Be supportive and understand that the person next to us is not a rival to be defeated but a person like us with their virtues and flaws, with their strengths and weaknesses... someone from whom we can learn, with whom we can advance, grow, and enrich ourselves in many aspects.
And this is what I would like to convey to my children: compete with ourselves, persevere, never give up, work hard, be consistent and tenacious... because only then will we achieve our goals.
But cooperate with others, because we are all different, unique, and special, and because I firmly believe that there is no one in the world from whom we cannot learn something... we just have to pay attention and LISTEN... a verb that is sometimes difficult to put into practice.
The truth is that even if competitiveness prevails in today's society, I believe that something is already changing... there are more and more schools of thought and more people who advocate for collaboration as a way to establish synergies and achieve our goals... and the ability to establish strong relationships and work as a team are starting to be highly valued in many companies.
I don't know if this is the best possible way to get the best results, but what do you want me to tell you... the truth is I don't really care, because I believe that only this way will we manage to scratch at happiness and make this journey that is life a beautiful, pleasant, and rewarding path.
With your "I can" and my "I want," let's go together, friend. M. Benedetti #multiplicandotalentos ;=)
Where you don't reach, I will. #talentosolidario ;=)
And what do you think?
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