There are no competitions

Life isn't a test.

We're in a new age. There is no winning. There is no losing.

Who could you possibly be competing against? Who could you possibly "win" against?

Competition is a ghost. No matter what vertical you're in, there's someone better, smarter, stronger, or wealthier than you. And if you take the title spot, it is only a matter of time before you're surpassed.

But when it comes down to it, we all end up in one place…

You have to choose your own game.

Create it and judge it by its own set of rules that you invent. We have to shake off the scoreboard that is handed to us every day, because not only do we not need to accept it, it's simply not practical!

Who is truly famous today? How far does their fame actually reach? How long does it last?

Happiness, peace, experiences—these can be permanent. Ditto for impact. This is self-actualization, and no one can take that way.

Awards, rankings, metrics, these all are decided by others, and even if your number hits the lottery, it eventually fades...

Often the moment you achieve it.

What is the top show on television? Who is the world's most popular band?

Really, who is "winning" today?

I can't think of anyone, because it's anyone who wants to be!

In my book, Kanye is winning if he feels like it. If he doesn't…then he's not!

Same with Elon.

People will flip-flop every day in the media about it.

So that's not to say it's easy. Your own standards might be tough. But if you have them, and you're the one keeping them instead of what others think, then you'll quickly be on track.

You'll drop the game of comparison because your greatest competition is yourself.

The real scoreboard is in your own head.

If I write this post and it goes out to 1,000 people, what does that say about me? What if it goes to 100,000 people? What about 10 Million?

It's the same post!

What, we should be depressed because our Youtube video didn't hit a billion views?

There are infinite choices for you to make in your life. Each one leads down a different road, but the prize that is at the end is not the reason to go down it.

Who are you trying to please? There is no one watching…

Like Steve Jobs said, "We are all Naked." And even he is in the rear-view. But while he was here, he beat to his own drum.

And this is freeing.

It's freeing because you get to decide, and you get to take responsibility. You get to choose what matters. And no one can tell you otherwise.

Sure, people will try and enforce their views, or signal that they've "won" the game and you're losing.

But the niches to be in are infinite. And only I have myself to truly judge the merits of how I spend my time.

Make tons of money. Be a lead in a hit movie. Film a documentary, quit your job, gain a million likes, lose a million likes…

And do it all knowing that those metrics pale in comparison to the journey you're on internally.

You've only got one life.

Test your own limits.

Go as deep as you can in the areas of your choosing.

Judge it for yourself!