Why Being First Means Being Lastfeatured

You see it every day. Drivers with severe road rage fighting to be first. People cutting in lines to get in first. The struggle is real. Our culture has instilled in us that to be best, you must be the first.

I have never been competitive. It just wasn’t something that I have ever felt within my bones. Of course, certain aspects of life require a level of competitiveness. Certain environments call for it and thrive on it. I lack that characteristic and that might be something I need to look closer into at some point.

But what happens if you choose to be last?

What if you let everyone cut in front of you in line? What if you were the person with the kindest demeanor while everyone else around you fought to be first? What if you ended up smiling while everyone else was frowning?

Would you be considered America’s biggest loser?

Not necessarily.

I guarantee you would live longer and with a lot less stress. You would be the person strangers smiled at and many others would be confused by. You would be the person at the market that made someone else’s day not so bad after all and the surprising fellow driver that let you over into their lane when you blanked on what street you had to exit at.

It takes a great soul to let others be first. It takes someone who truly understands humanity to be kind to strangers we collide with each day. Being last means peacefully flowing with the universe and not letting the mundane things get to you. It means not giving into the superficial desires of our material world and always putting one thing first-love.

It means leading with your heart and never with your mind or ego. It means listening to the plight of others, listening to the echoes of their pain as they rush to their next appointment. It means holding your tongue when you want to yell at the jerk who feels more important than you on the freeway. It means realizing they are going through so much more than you are.

Placing others in front of you is one of the greatest gifts you can have. It comes from having a deep peace within and a profound level of empathy.

Being last makes you first; First to set the example by leading. First to show others what kindness is. First to spark the change in the world. First to make someone feel they matter during a difficult day. First to make others feel seen. First to show people the true meaning of love.

So go ahead, be last for an entire day and let me know what you feel, how others react to you, and how you feel at the end of it. I am sure being last will make you feel a first.

Love Deeply and Forever,

Karen