Do Your Best

Torah Reading: Balak

HOT TOPICS

Our goal should be to keep improving ourselves, rather than "being the best."

Someone who feels the need to be "the best" should ask himself, "Why do I really have to be better than others? What is so awful if someone else is better than me in any given area?"

People who feel the need to be "the best" often suffer much anxiety. They frequently tell themselves, "If I am not the best, then I am a failure. I am nothing."

There is no basis for this. In ultimate terms, no human can really say who is best. Comparing yourself to anyone else is arbitrary -- so why cause yourself misery by doing so?

(Gateway to Happiness, p.130)

See more Daily Lifts on the topic of Self Esteem

NEW BOOK!

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's new book has just been published by Artscroll: SELF-CONFIDENCE: Formulas, Stories, and Insights.

Self-confidence allows you to create goals -- and reach them. It lets you learn from your failures -- and move on to triumphs. It helps you transform your potential into real achievement. With the help of Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, you will gain that self-confidence.

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin is the author of 25 books with his specialty in mastering happiness and other positive inner resources.

His last 15 books include: "Taking Action", "Happiness", "Kindness", "Courage", "Serenity", "Building Your Self-image" "Conversations with Yourself" and "Marriage." These books are available at: Artscroll.com.

Give Tzedakah! Help Aish.com create inspiring
articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom.

stub

About the Author

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

More by this Author >

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin is a noted psychologist and prolific author of 24 books, including Guard Your Tongue, Gateway to Happiness, Gateway to Self Knowledge, Love Your Neighbor, Growth Through Torah, The Power of Words, Consulting the Wise, and the recent Life is Now. Rabbi Pliskin lives in Jerusalem, and is the director of Aish HaTorah's Counseling Center and a senior lecturer at Aish's Essentials program and the Executive Learning Center. He was ordained at the Telshe Yeshiva in Ohio and holds a degree in Counseling Psychology.