Being the Best vs. Giving Your Best

Sunrise at Communications Hill, San Jose, California, USA

Society often pushes us to be the best-to reach the top and stay there. But what happens when the title is lost? The truth is, you don’t need to be the best at what you do, as long as you give your best.

Being the best is temporary. No one stays at the top forever, and you shouldn’t want to. Progress depends on people surpassing each other. If you attach your identity to being the best, you set yourself up for suffering when the inevitable happens.

Look at top athletes-world records never last forever. Someone always comes along and breaks them. If an athlete’s entire identity is built around their record, losing it can feel like losing themselves.

The Cost of Being the Best

Many high achievers struggle with this reality. Here are two famous examples:

1. Michael Phelps - The most decorated Olympian of all time, yet after the 2012 Olympics, he fell into deep depression. He later admitted he felt lost without swimming, realizing that chasing gold medals had become his entire identity.

2. Tyson Fury - After reaching the pinnacle of boxing by defeating Wladimir Klitschko, he spiraled into depression, alcoholism, and even contemplated suicide. He later shared that his suffering came from having no purpose beyond being “the best”.

These examples show that when success is tied to external validation, losing it can be devastating.

The Power of Giving Your Best

Instead of trying to be the best, focus on trying your best. This shift changes everything: 

• You’re no longer attached to the outcome but to self-mastery.
• You keep improving because you’re not stuck in the illusion of having “arrived”.
• You find peace in knowing you gave your all, whether the world recognizes it or not.

The irony is that those who always give their best often become their best-but without the fear of losing it.

The Journey vs. The Destination

Success is often seen as a destination, but in reality, it’s the journey that matters. Being the best is about reaching the top and proving something to the world. Giving your best is about continuous growth and proving something to yourself.

The process of discovering your full potential is the real goal. If you only care about being the best, you stop learning once you get there. But if you focus on always giving your best, you never stop evolving.

Let Go and Surrender

The world encourages us to chase being the best, but it misunderstands the real path to fulfillment. Success isn’t about holding a title-it’s about becoming the best version of yourself through relentless effort.

Try your best and let the universe take care of the rest. Success comes and goes, but self-mastery stays with you forever.