Everyone loses every once in a while; that's just part of life. Most of us understand that, but that doesn't make it much easier to handle when we're on a losing streak and just can't seem to get anything right. Whether it be in friendships, relationships, school, sports, the arts, or even clubs, it can be hard to keep being passed up over and over again. But, while all that is true, it can't discourage us. We have to keep pushing.

One of our main problems is in measuring our success by the success of others. Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Those words have a lot of wisdom. The minute you stop comparing yourself to others and start focusing on improving yourself is the minute you start actually making progress. A lot of the time, we are scared to really try on something because it won't hurt as badly when we fail for everything to see. That has been my problem, at least. But, if you live by that mindset, you won't ever really accomplish anything, will you? It's better to fail spectacularly than to just coast along giving half of your best. Shoot for the stars, and all that. You may never know what people really think of you, so why bother with what they think? I'll be the first to tell you that is so much easier said than done, but I think our lives would be so much happier if we could adopt that way of thinking.

So, what do you do when you start putting forth all of your effort and still don't make it to the top? Again, stop comparing yourself to the person who did make it. Make sure you are the best at whatever you did accomplish. And, as you move forward, don't set your goals based on what others accomplished. Base your goals on bettering yourself. The first book you write will probably not become a best seller and motion picture starring Matt Damon (unless you're Andy Weir), but it could be a step up from that short story you wrote, burned, and vowed never to talk about again. As cliche as it sounds, baby steps will get you to the top. It doesn't matter if it takes a while.

As you move forward, know that it might not happen all at once or right away. That's what makes success so sweet. And, as much as we might not like to hear it, we might not ever be the absolute best. By definition, not everyone can be. That's not meant to discourage you; as long we put forth our best effort, we'll know we accomplished what we could. That way, we can avoid the regret of never making that big leap. Above all, we can set goals and accomplish things that make us happy. Listen to the anonymous quote I found on Pinterest: "I'll never be ready if I keep waiting to be..." Take the leap!