The big difference

Do you want to grow as a person? Do you want to be the best at something you do, something you love to do? Or do you want to feel like you're the best?

There's a big difference.

A lot of times we surround ourselves with "yes-men", people who find all of our work good. People who think we're the best at what we do. You might be the only one who can do something, that others can't, and you feel like you're better than them. You feel like you've peaked. 

We set our goals, our standards of excellence, based on our environment. If we see that the people around us are not as good as us in certain aspects, we feel like "this is it. I've achieved my goal".

But you know what? If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. A lot of times our society likes to be in the wrong room because it's easier. It makes them feel good about themselves. But that will never, ever make you grow.

When you've become the smartest person in the room, open the windows. Look outside. Go to other rooms. Only then you will grow. 

But with this comes another challenge. Envy. Jealousy. We see other people who are way better than us, and some people find that motivating, and some find it demotivating. Yes, being motivated by someone better than you is good, but to truly grow, it shouldn't come from a point of comparison, or competition. It should come as a thirst for knowledge. Only if you seek to learn from everyone, will you truly grow as a person?

That's just what I think. I'm still learning.