Is it mandatory to be always at the top ?
‘I have been an A grader throughout my life and now a possible B grade is giving me terrible nightmares’, Faiza, a Pakistani medical student in USA was telling me. She was worried about her grades and told me about her sleepless nights despite immense hard work. She wanted to stand first in her class. For me, she is already an extraordinary girl. Being from a conservative family and studying at a medical school in United States is an incredible dream for many. She is already a leader and role model for many girls in her family and friends but Faiza is not satisfied with her current situation.
The problem is not only with the students, but parents as well. They would queue outside ‘top schools’ for many hours in order to enrol their children for admissions. Sumera, another good friend from Lahore, worries about the performance of her son, who is a super active ten year old kid. He grabs decent grades despite being a ‘happy-go-lucky’ child and that is what bothers Sumera. She thinks he can outshine the rest if he gives a little more time and attention to his studies. She wants to see her kid at the top of the world and be a ‘star’.
The competition is not limited to education either. In every walk of life, we want to excel and beat the queue by any means possible. Be it the most luxurious car or high-tech cell phones, designer clothes or branded jewellery, we want to have the best of the best available. In career, everyone wants to have the fortunes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Nothing satisfies us more than overtaking the crowd in trivial things and possessions.
I remember one of my professors once said, ‘Be a leader in your field and if you fail, create a new field and lead’’. Everyone knows about ‘Neil Armstrong’ who stepped on to the moon, but no one knows about the second one who stepped twenty minutes later. The stories of cut-throat competition in the markets are prevalent, asking to move up the ladder by hook or by crook.
The issue is not only with Pakistanis. In Korea, the issues like which university to choose, which company to join and who to marry, depend quite a lot on your performance in the high school examination. One exam almost shapes the entire life of the person and the repercussions are drastic. Children’s days and nights revolve round exams more than any healthy activities, and the teenage suicidal rate in Korea is the highest in the world.
So is the world all about being at the top? And more importantly, those who have big achievements in their portfolios are they satisfied with their lives? Or do they want more? These questions need to be pondered upon? No one is happy with this fast paced life. Everyone looks for the missing pieces in the puzzle of happiness. So it comes down to the phenomenon of contentment. We need to draw a line where we feel contented. That is when we can enjoy all what we have and stop looking for more. There is no problem with the notion of standing out in the crowd and having a few extra feathers in the cap. The problem comes when it becomes the only motive of life.
The solution was given by Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) centuries ago by saying ‘In matters of deen (righteousness/virtues) look at those who are higher (better) than you and in the matters of the world (material things), look at those who are lower (less fortunate) than you. This simple solution will fill one’s heart with contentment. Thanking God for what you have will give you the option to enjoy it to the full.
Being first is not important at all times. In my opinion, the role of the Michael Collins was most important; he orbited the moon in Apollo 11, and brought back Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin safely to the earth. He went to the moon, not to step onto it, but to bring those back who landed there. Sometimes staying behind the scene and playing role is much more important than coming to the lime light.
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