On Being Second

There is an advantage of being second. For one thing, the pressure of being first just doesn't exist. For another, being second means you still have a chance to move forward.

I've always been one to cheer for the underdog. I like the Bears, cheer for the Cubbies, heck even alma mater, Iowa State is regularly a second (though please don't use that as ammunition later). Being second gives you a sense of needed accomplishment. A place to gauge yourself. A time to know where you may and could belong.

I'm a usual contender for second, and I really don't mind. I don't like having a lot of pressure on me. I like to know that I have room to grow-someone to beat, because I know I can. I know what I can achieve, it's really all about how much I want to achieve it.

When being second, there are a few things you have to accept. You're not first, for one thing. Not being first is very difficult for a human. You accept being overlooked, you appreciate being overlooked, you desire to be overlooked. Because only then can you succeed past what everyone once thought you could be, not only to be first, but to be only.