Racing Against Yourself

Improving ourselves is like racing against ourselves. The world is such that our focus of attention is constantly distracted by what others are doing, which can lead us to stop making the efforts necessary to improve ourselves daily. The comparison is good, but it must be used sparingly. Imagine a rider in the Tour de France who is always looking at his competitors, turning his head sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes behind, sometimes in front. Do you really think he would get very far? Certainly not. He has to manage his own efforts according to his physical condition, according to the tactics he has worked out with his coach. He has to support his teammates and if necessary to make speed peaks or protect his colleagues from the wind by taking the direction of the line.

In reality, a cycling competition such as the Tour de France is a bit like life: you have to work hard to finish first, not necessarily to shine at every stage. Cycling is an interesting sport in that it is solitary, but it also gives rise to group strategies since races can be organized in teams.

To excel, you must first focus on yourself and ignore what is going on around you for a while. Isolating yourself for a while to get to know yourself better and to know what you really want is essential for making decisions. Otherwise, we risk committing ourselves to a path that is not our own simply to do as others do.

To improve oneself is to know what our limits are and to try to go beyond them on a daily basis. To face our fears, to do better than the day before and to live in coherence with the values we have defined. Once we know what we want, we can start to find inspiration in those who excel in a field without ever giving in to the temptation of wanting to be exactly the same, it is impossible. The best way to be excellent is to let yourself express yourself without a source, and to do this you must have the courage not to be distracted by the projects of others.