This Is What It Actually Means To Be ‘The Best’

Before I dive into my controversial opinion, I hope you do hear me out before taking my words out of context.

Here’s the truth folks: there is no such thing as being “the best.”

Why?

Exhibit A. This student was awarded the best student for the year 2017. Of course, this recognition is a great honor. It is a great achievement, it should be celebrated. Before we know it, it’s the year 2018. But this time around, a different student wins best student of the year. The cycle repeats: there will be new students coming in to enroll in the school, and a different “best student” gets awarded each year.

I am not saying that being acknowledged or recognized as the best means absolutely zilch. What I am saying is that being seen as “the best” fluctuates. Being seen as “the best” is replaceable. We may remember the musician that was deemed the best singer from two years ago, but we may not necessarily recall an artist who was deemed the best from 20 years ago. It does not mean that the achievements of the artist from 20 years ago was worth nothing. Instead, we should not be allowing what the world says we are to define the entirety of our worth. The world is constantly changing, including the standards we are held to, the people who we are subjected to, and the competition around us.

So what should being “the best” really mean?

Being “the best” is you giving your all into what you love to do, every single day. Being “the best” is allowing yourself to try, to fall, and to rise again. Being “the best” is striving toward your goals to the best of your abilities but knowing when it is time to stop. Being “the best” is being able to know what is important, rather than being blinded by the success and the fame that are offered.

Because darling, being “the best” is you being the best damn version of yourself. It is not about the awards the world gives you, the classifications your studies awards you, the opinions of people who shouldn’t matter, nor is it about what you think is expected of you at this stage. It is not about needing to prove yourself to others, gaining recognition, or what this world says you have to be.

Being “the best” is taking a step every day to become a better version of yourself. Because the qualifications, labels, and glory will all fade over time. What remains is the way you radiate light, the way you speak with love, and the way you carry yourself. What remains is the way you treat the people in your life and how you made them feel.

Being “the best” is not what you think it is.

Because being “the best” should be about you taking steps for you. Truth be told, it gets frustrating. It hurts when things don’t go our way, it hurts when we fall short. We may not understand it all now. We may not see the bigger picture of what God has in store for us at this point. Let us instead focus on working towards our best selves for us, not in becoming what the world says we should be.