A common phrase you hear is that once you reach the top, you have two options: either stay there for a while and eventually slide back down to the bottom, or immediately come skyrocketing to the bottom of the barrel. While both scenarios ultimately lead to the same destination, neither of them depict why I claim that I don't want to "reach the top."
A great friend once told me that the key problem with our generation is that we constantly have the desire and hunger for a so-called "fast food happiness." This means that what so many of us strive for, is a quick way to get what we want, even if we see in foresight that it is most certainly temporary. Many of us are not willing to put in the work to achieve true or even lasting happiness. While some do put in the work and are very deserving of their rewards, it is just as easy to get carried away with them. People are also very hungry for titles, almost to the point of being unhealthy. While I will support competition and the inner-fire that drives people to be the best versions of themselves, I do not applaud excessive levels of it. In some cases, there are so many titles, that they begin to hold little meaning. Last semester at a career fair, a recruiter was perusing through my resume and qualifications, and then asked, "Does everyone here have some sort of executive title?" I shrugged, scrambling to think of a response, and said, "You're not wrong." The same goes back to what my friend said about seeking immediate gratification. There are those that work so tirelessly to obtain a title, but once they get it, they may actually accomplish almost nothing. This just leaves everyone sitting around the coffee table at the end of the term in office, why they were elected in the first place. Quite often, this is the end result when people strive to climb to the top of the ladder, as they find that they consistently fall short from their goal. Awards are just as similar, in that they often have little significance other than what importance people place on them. Most of the time, these awards are only important, because people are competing for them with others and indirectly place 95% of the overall reverence in their name. In other words, if people didn't talk about awards, they wouldn't have nearly the same importance. The other injustice with awards and titles is that sometimes they do not go to the people who deserve them. In fact, the only thing an award means is that someone was noticed for doing something. Anyone and almost everyone is eligible for an award, but few people are noticed. To quote Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation, “I still think awards are stupid, but they'd be less stupid if they went to the right people."
By no means am I attempting to say that being a lofty goal-setter is a bad thing, or that it is ever adversarial to aspire to be better than the person you were a year ago. These are both admirable qualities to adopt. However, it is important to not lose yourself in the wrong mindset and to remain steadfast with your initial foundation, as falling astray will often lead to unhappiness.
None of that last paragraph was at all profound in any way, but like many things in our time, it is something that is often forgotten or abandoned for the wrong ideas.
Another reason why I never want to "reach the top," is that those who do, are usually not in good company, if any at all. While it is not always uncommon that like those who climb to the top of mountain ranges have to step on a few jagged stones along the way, those who reach the top of their game sometimes have to step on a few toes to put them in that high position. This may work in their favor at first, but will eventually catch up to them. Another sagaciously wise companion of mine once said, "Don't live for your resume, live for your alimony." This much is true in opposition with many who reach the top in that they will be very well off materialistically, but not as much can be said about them as people. One thing I never wish to experience in my life is a full wallet with no one to share it with. That, in my book is one of the prime examples of failure.
The third reason as to why I hope to never reach the top is illustrated by a letter I received the other day by an utterly perspicacious confidant in which they documented some seriously resonant truth. Once again, what was said was not necessarily a new thought, but it was something that definitely needed to be brought to light. In regard to accomplishments, "Most people neglect the fact that quality is so much more important that quantity." There were many reverberant ideas that were thoughtfully scripted through this thought-provoking letter, but this is one small thing that stands out. This point was reaffirmed later in the letter with, "I know a lot of people that could rattle off a laundry list of resume-worthy crap, but they couldn't tell you why any of it was meaningful." Making it to the top comes with a five-dollar footlong sub from Subway worth of resume and CV-worthy accomplishments, but what is the point of them if you can't say that they genuinely changed your life permanently for the better? Even if these accomplishments have helped you get to the next thing and the thing after that along the way, that's not the purpose of doing them, nor is that the purpose of "living."
These are just a few things to keep in mind when thinking about the future or what's to come next. Instead of aiming to be the best, just strive to be better. Rather than working to be wealthy, just work on being remembered for the important things. In the end, that is all that will matter.
