Overcome, don’t Overstep

Hello! It’s been a pretty agonizing hiatus but here I am, back to pump you with some motivational thoughts and points of view that’ll surely help you see this world and its intricacies differently!

There are a lot of topics revolving in my head off lately and to be very frank, I have and am still experiencing a few at a personal level and I see the need to write about it just because its better out than in. I might also help a few along the way :))

A close contemplation of the title will make you realize that there is a lot of depth in what these words convey and it’s something relevant for people at all stages of life.

People often tend to go overboard in situations. They do more than they are supposed to. They do more than what they have signed up for, often overstepping on the duties of another, devoiding them of their own role and the success they can muster out of it. Well now, there are two ways in which you can view this scenario.

One, you see it as additional efforts put in by one to supplement for the shortcomings of another. That is called filling in for people and usually brings a positive connotation along with it.

Two, what most people face everyday but fail to understand is that someone out there, due to their over ambitious nature, is slowly gnawing upon your share of opportunities. While superficially, it looks like its due to the abilities of the other person but in the rawest form, its just the urge to lay their hands upon what’s not rightfully theirs.

While all of this may seem incendiary, it is true and it’s important to speak up about it and rise to the occasion so that your presence is not dwindled due to the someone’s over – interference. Most often people do not realize that there is a difference between expanding your field of opportunities and hijacking on someone else’s. I am not against the idea of increasing your scope of development but the idea of investing your efforts into something that someone else is meant to do.

Well sadly that has become the new law of the world where everyone believes that the only way to scale up in this rat race is to step over someone else. That is not true. It all boils down to perspective. Where I come from, I feel that all someone achieves by doing that is short-lived fame and long-lived toxicity. Making someone else feel that they are incapable of performing the way you can is not a very great thing to do to people who have their own struggles to deal with.

Speaking from a very rational pedestal, at the end of the day, the type of person you are decides the type of tone, culture and precedent you set for everyone else around you. Let me tell you one thing, however ambitious you may be, if you achieve something by overstepping your boundaries and entering a territory that is rightfully someone else’s you are not going to feel very great about it and you know you cannot deny this fact. You may be an ace at something but always remember that you are one now because someone did not cast their shadow over you when you were an amateur, You got the chance to evolve, now give others the chance.

Lets be honest, who are we even playing with? If you are convincing yourself that overstepping is okay because you deserve it, take my advice and do not do it. As tempting as it might seem, it is wrong at the end of the day. There’s a lot more you can do than overstepping. Ask to work alongside them, both of you can excel together. Become a catalyst in their learning process because teams always have bigger and better things to offer. Collaborate and coordinate. Try to help them in overcoming their shortcomings. Try it out for yourself and write to me if it doesn’t work out. I am sure that won’t be necessary because you’ll see the difference yourself.

All I want to say is that have a warm and embracing personality towards learners. Give them the space to truly discover who they are and what they are competent to fulfill. Being cold and pushing away people because you cannot co-exist with them sounds cool but it is not. Overcome any barriers you face, don’t overstep onto someone else’s boundary to avoid dealing with your own bag of troubles. There is always a way, you just have to be courageous enough to traverse on those paths, sometimes even independently. Make room for people to improve and bloom. Don’t nip them in their bud stage and rid them of a full bloom.

On a concluding note, whether someone is upfront about it or not, let your conscience always guide you to become a stepping stone in others’ success stories, not a roadblock. Try both approaches and see for yourself about what makes you feel like a better human. Because accept it or not, stopping someone does not mean paving the way for yourself. Carve new paths if you can, that will make you feel better anyday.

Until next time!