I’ll be honest, I’m a very competitive person. If there’s something that I know I can do well, I want to do it the best. Not just better than the last time I did, not just better than the person next to me, but the best it’s ever been done. Doesn’t matter if it’s a board game, sports, work assignment, whatever, I want to be the best at it.

There are definitely times when this is an advantage. It can be great to be competitive with yourself. Push yourself to be better than you were last time. Strive to learn something new and be proficient at it. There have definitely been times (especially in work environments) where my competitiveness has pushed me to do greater. And in turn I’ve helped those around me and my company do better. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t want you to walk away from this post thinking that there isn’t a time and place to push yourself. I truly believe there is. But I also believe there are times when you need to put your competitiveness on the back burner.

Something I struggle with and where my competitiveness gets the best of me is when I forget there is room enough for all of us. When you have a competitive nature, it can be easy to not celebrate the success of those around you. It can be easy to feel jealous when you see others achieve goals you’ve set for yourself that you haven’t yet accomplished. It can be easy to beat yourself up for not getting there first. For not being as good, as skinny, as wealthy, as successful, as smart, (you get the picture) as the person next to you. And if you’re competitive like me it can be hard to swallow your pride in those moments. I’m always thinking “well I could have done that too!” or “I was going to do that next week!”, etc. When we see people around us achieving the things we were hoping for, we can feel like we missed our chance. Things are moving on without us and maybe those goals just aren’t achievable for us anymore.

This competitive nature, this need to compare ourselves to those around us, it makes us lose sight of our own journeys. Our timing will never be exactly the same around us, because we are not exactly the same as those around us. Things will happen for you, when the time is right for you. And guess what? Sometimes they won’t happen for you at all. Because that isn’t your journey. And that’s okay. I recently came across a quote that sums this up perfectly, “you will still arrive where you need to be in time.” Just because you got passed up for the job this time, doesn’t mean the next one will too. Just because someone else had quicker success than you, doesn’t mean your success isn’t coming. Just because they got married before you, doesn’t mean your love isn’t coming. The things that happen for you will come in your timing, not the same time as someone else.

Only when we take a step back from our competition that only we are in, can we truly appreciate and support those around us. And let’s face it, as women there is enough else we have to worry about. The success of another babe should be celebrated. Someone else’s achievements won’t dampen your own. If your coworker gets a promotion before you – get her some champagne! Your friend gets engaged before you? Get her a bridal magazine! Your fellow instagrammer posts a cute photo? Leave her all the flame emojis – and mean it! Let’s celebrate the successes and accomplishments of other women and stop hating each other (and yourselves) for not getting there first. There is room enough for all of us to grow, to flourish, to be beautiful, to be smart, to be enough.

This week I am challenging myself to find a new way to celebrate those around me every day. Join me! Leave a comment below of how you celebrated the people around you!