“To begin in a law school never appeared an easy task to me. One may either squander these 5 years of life by competing with others, or one may make use of it by competing with oneself.”

This is the thought which strikes my mind very often. Should I compete with myself, or I should compete with others. Mooting, Debating, Publications, and Grade Point Assessment (GPA) are a few things which one wants to excel in, with I being no exception.

With other learners around me, I once started considering myself to be a mediocre. To be precise, I started comparing myself with others around me. Then, a few thoughts came into my mind.

“Should I really compare myself with others?”

“Should I start considering myself to be a hopeless law student?”

“Why am I not able to perform as well as them?”

I have now stopped comparing myself with others. I have now realised that before competing with them, I have to compete with myself. Competing with others, according to me, would be more like making yourself compete with an illusionary image. The more you compare, the more you are discouraged.

One might have not come from as humble background as that of others. One might have come from a place where English has rarely been used for speaking. Also it may be true that one has rarely spoken English unless one joined the law school. Should one compete with others, who are already good at it, or should one compete with oneself first? Should not one improve oneself first? I chose the latter, and I am convinced with this decision.

"You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself be.” - Lou Holtz

The Mere fact that I cannot speak English fluently as others do does not mean I cannot improve it. The Mere fact that I am not able to write Good English as others do does not mean I cannot write well. The fact that one is criticised, or the fact that one becomes a topic of fun because of these drawbacks, should not discourage one. Instead, it should encourage one in mastering those areas. At this stage, do I need to compete with others, or should I compete with myself first? Instead of becoming a part of the Rat Race, should not one strive to build himself up?

I will not deny the fact that many of us are discouraged from improving ourselves. But, no one can judge one better than oneself. One knows well the areas which one is lacking in, one knows well the areas which one needs to work on, and one also knows well the reasons behind these drawbacks. Reasons can be many, and can be genuine.

Better than anyone else, one knows who one is, and one also knows what one is.

Though one does not know what one will be, one surely knows what one can be since one knows ones’ capabilities, which if not improved yet, can be improved over a period of time.

While studying in a law school, one meets different kinds of Individuals. One meets individuals who encourage, individuals who discourage, and individuals who are similar to one. One should listen to the first and the last kinds of individuals, but should not bother about those individuals who discourage one.

May be, one will not be able to perform well initially, but one can surely perform well if one competes with oneself first. If one ends up competing with others right from the beginning, then one may not be able to understand what he is, and who he can be. Someone has truly said there is always a next time, and surely there is.

Below is what all I wanted to say through my post.

I tried. I failed.

I again tried. I again failed.

Should I try again?

Yes I should, and Yes I will :)