I Want Second Place

My daughter has had an obsession with second place.   It’s Pinewood Derby season here and all weekend she has been talking about winning a second place trophy at this year’s race.   She doesn’t want to win first place – just second place.   My husband and I are baffled by her remarks, afterall we are both very competitive individuals.   One might be tempted to think that we picked up the wrong child from the hospital, except that Kirstie looks just like me.

So I asked Kirstie why she was so determined to finish in second place instead of first.   Her response was very straightforward and logical.    She said “because I already have a first place trophy from last year.”  Hmmm….sounds intelligent to me.   Not that she wants to get second place, but that she wants to achieve something different.   I started thinking about this over the weekend.   What do you have to strive for when you’ve already been number one?

Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t always strive be number one.   That’s not it at all.   What I am wondering, though, is it time to move on to new ventures once you’ve reached your peak?  Why settle for fifteen minutes of fame under one spotlight when there are other spotlights to be found?

I am noticing that there are areas in my life where I have climbed to the top of the mountain and I have no where else to go.   But from my vantage point on that peak, I can see a lot more mountains in the distance that I have yet to discover.  I would hate to live my whole life and only have one claim to fame.   I want variety.   Striving for the same target over and over again gets really boring.

It’s risky, too.   Starting over at the bottom of uncharted territory is never easy.   But when you look up and see that the scenery has changed and there is a whole new adventure about to unfold before you, that’s when it becomes fresh and exciting.     Does your scenery excite you or bore you to tears?  Take a good look around you.   Have you thought about climbing that mountain way over there?

By the way, Kirstie placed third in the show class.   She was overjoyed.   I have started her on guitar lessons now so she can focus on a new target.