Never Walked In High Heels

What do we look at to determine the value of a person? In these times there is, of course all the clichés we can imagine. There is power, money, sex appeal, popularity, public opinion. And at naming all of these we roll our eyes and say that those qualities shouldn’t matter… But of course they do. However, perhaps if we are to look at a person’s accomplishments we need to examine what they have overcome. I want to put before you that achievement is relative and determined by our own starting point, and what we have done to rise above it.

For a select few runners this year, racing in the olympic marathon will be the achievement of a lifetime. But when someone who has sustained a spinal cord injury learns to walk five steps that is, undeniably, an achievement as well. Now, which is a greater achievement (if either)? On what criteria do we determine a level of achievement? Whose mother is prouder? How does one quantify impressiveness?

The argument ones level of success is dependent upon where he has come from is nothing new. Indeed, coming from a stable home, going to the best schools, never having to worry about putting food on the table is going to put a person at a decisive advantage in life. That’s nothing new. But when we consider how much a person has overcome, then sudden the goal posts begin to move. A person with extreme dyslexia who barely gets a passing grade in English class has an entirely different context than someone who loves writing and reading getting the same grade. The other person might have stayed after school every night and spent an admirable amount of energy to receive that grade, where as I would have clearly slacked off in my studies. We both received the same grade, his is laudable, mine is not.

It is important to note that I am not advocating that we should only achieve to the same level, or that mediocrity should be what we strive for. Just the opposite. If we all stand on the shoulders of where we come from, then we should all be excelling to the best of our capabilities. But by default that doesn’t mean that we can ever achieve to the same levels. But our actions which gets us past where we started out are always achievements. No matter how much farther along someone else may be.

The fact that the world recognizes some achievements and not others illustrates not the value of the action, but merely what is valued in our society. But to only recognize say, the top five percent in a field as extraordinary achievers is to assume everyone started on equal footing, with all the same benefits and advantages. And so many of us, who have accomplished great things from having a kid to just learning how to dress ourselves with massive fine motor impairments, look at the cream of society and just wonder if we’ve ever accomplished anything at all, selling ourselves short in the process.

If we look to others to determine the value of our achievements, most of us will never get any recognition. But, as most lauded achievers will tell you, if you take action to seek praise or to directly improve your stature, little credit will become of it. Rather, those who achieve do so not to seek praise, but because there is little else they can do in the face of obscurity.