I ran my first cross country race a few days ago, and let’s just say I did not finish anywhere near first. However while I was running, I found that it was the people who were near the end that gave me high fives and told me good job and to keep going. I realized in that moment, I was never going to finish a race first but I could keep getting better. I realized that certain things were not meant for me. While I finished first at school in academics, no matter how much I practised in running it wasn’t going to go for me. And surprisingly, I wasn’t embarrassed when I came in third last. I was relieved, and a quite a bit sweaty. But I was nowhere near embarrassed, when I started the race, I felt like backing out because I knew I wouldn’t finish the race well, I was scared to be last. Never in my life was I near the end. I’ve been so accustomed to finish near first, that I hadn’t tasted the salty tears of finishing last.

Now I know how it feels, and it isn’t as terrible as I thought, because sure I did finish almost last, but that’s not what matters. I realized in certain things, you’ll finish in the front because you’re good at it, and at others you’re going to finish last. But when you finish last, while pushing yourself to the best of your capabilities then you are a winner. I believe that I pushed myself the hardest that day, and on that day, there’s nothing I could have done to come in earlier. I did the best that I could do, and even though I finished near last, I knew that it was okay.

In life, there will be moments when you’ll succeed and moments when you’ll fail, but remember that there’s nothing to scold yourself for, if you really did the best that you could do. If you believe that you put in your 110% or even our 200% than you’ve done way more than enough. Be proud of what you’ve done! And remember don’t compete with others, only compete with yourself. Try to be better by improving yourself, not comparing yourself to another person, because we are all different, and in our own selves we have the capacity to do whatever it is that we our selves are capable of doing. So do the best that you can do, be the best you, you can be!