Racing You

When everything around you is moving fast, slow down. There will be days when you feel the need to win the race.

I remember when you were four years old and winning was everything. During one of your rhythmic classes, there was an exercise where you had to hop from start to finish. But hopping wasn’t fast enough. The rule slowed you down, and you weren’t the fastest. So, for a split second, you looked around—and instead of following the rule, you broke out and ran.

Of course, you finished first. You were overjoyed, jumping up and down with excitement. The other parents and kids weren’t as happy, but you didn’t care. You had won. Your dad leaned over and whispered to me, “Babe, F only understands how to win. He thinks it’s a race.” I smiled and agreed.

But in that moment, I noticed two things I want you to remember—just in case you forget when you’re all grown-up, caught up in the important ‘grown-up’ stuff.

First: Don’t be afraid to break away from the pack when you see the direction isn’t where you want to go.

I hope that, by now, we have guided you well enough to discern your values, morals, and principles. There will be times when staying with the group feels safe. I won’t argue with that—it’s natural to seek comfort in your clique. But safety isn’t always the same as rightness. Sometimes, stepping away is necessary.

Second: Don’t let the world define your success.

Everyone around you will be chasing the next big thing—the latest, the greatest, the best. But don’t measure your worth by society’s version of greatness. Success comes in many forms. There is no single definition of it. I want you to define success for yourself. I want you to be the best you.

The struggle will be hard. So when it feels overwhelming, remember what your dad once told me, when I was learning how to stop conforming to the ways of the world:

“Give zero f*cks to those who don’t know you and your struggle.”

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