This Post Is Not About Boats

Why do you care if someone else fails?

Why are you focused on other boats on the water instead of your own?

Sometimes, do you rejoice when another boat disappears from the horizon? Or do you find yourself aiming at another boat instead of aiming for the finish line?

Join the club. We all get distracted at times, but it's often not very helpful to accomplishing our goals.

Sinking another boat won't make your own boat go faster. Swamping another boat won't bail the water from your own deck.

Some folks argue that fewer boats on the sea make for a clearer path to safety and victory. That by sinking another boat, you actually ensure your own victory.

Maybe ... if your sea is only big as a bathtub, or you don't have far to go, and you have no weaknesses in your hull.

But what if the ocean is large?

Maybe there are many boats.

Maybe your speed (and survivability) depends on how well you've built your boat. Or on how hard you can paddle, or how well you adjust your sails. Or on how hard your team can work. And on how well you handle the storms that you cannot control.

Maybe your own existence in this world depends on you.

Now, tell me again why you're focused on the other boats?