Run your own Race

I used to be friends with this lady who started treating me different because she "made it". She bought a flat  and had a car. She thought I was jealous of her " success." I was not. She kept saying things like "when you're the only one of your day ones who has made it..." She was in debt and couldn't afford her lifestyle.

Right now,  I'm listening and scoffing inappropriately at a conversation my colleagues are having about another colleague. The discussion centers around the fact that he bought a Yaris, instead of a Beamer "For a guy so big and who earns so much money! His kid is in a public school and he lives in a GRN house, what does he do with his money?"

My own path has followed an unconventional path, there's no way I would've predicted I'd be where I am right now, professionaly or in my personal life. And the naysayers have always been around, people who will want to force their world view on you.  Bullies and trolls.

I have come to the conclusion that I will run my own race, I alone will determine my path and what my priorities are.  This includes defining my purpose, determining what I want my life to be about and letting go of people's expectations. Realising that envy is a symptom of a problem that needs tackling and there's no need to compare or compete with any one else.

I have to live with myself, there's no getting away from me, so I have to do whatever it takes to be at peace with myself. There's no way I'm going to do something to please someone else and end up hating myself for it. My relationship with myself will take precedence and I will not apologise for it, not even to my mother.

I alone have to account to my Maker. I doubt peer pressure will be a plausible excuse. I don't want to go to your damned church, have you heard your pastor preach?  He needs to read his Bible and stop like listening to televangelists.
I won't go to the club after hanging out, its 1 am, I need sleep. I don't even like house music, what do you want from me?

I'm done placating you, I don't care how long we've known each other, keep it moving, there's no place for you here no more.

No one else has the same set of circumstances I do. Not even my siblings and I experienced life the same way and we grew up together. Therefore I will run my own race.