When the roaring alpha needs to mew down

With a heart of steel and a mind of gold, alphas are always under their own pressure to be at the top of their game. What they need is a soul of silver, observes Alvina Clara.

Being average is no longer an innocent way of life. It’s a crime to be anything less than excellent and almost every third person you meet in the crowd comes across as an alpha. And then, over the course of time, we make our lives horrendously intricate. Many people want to simplify their lives and diminish strain and burden caused by numerous trivial reasons. Contentment is something that we all long for.

We are our biggest impediment as we set our standards so high, compare with others, and disparage ourselves. We live to eat, rather than eat to live, we drink to sleep but get up without feeling fresh. We keep ourselves occupied with mundane work, because we fear being lonely with ourselves. While the adrenaline rush is what drives competitive people to be extra passionate about what they do, it is crucial to take a break and think whether they are breathing or panting. Whose chase are they running? With whom are they competing?

It is the generation that believes competing with others is passe; competing with yourself is the norm of the day. If you think you were best yesterday, well, you’ll need to be better than best today. It is the generation that expects only the best from itself, and always in the form of a fastest-and-best-combo. While it is certainly not wrong to keep their nose high in the air, this generation needs to learn the art of keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

Be yourself

Always be candid with yourself and others. Follow your heart. Just do what you know is right. Don’t be bothered too much about others notions about you. The only person you’re contending against is yourself. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be yourself in a world that is persistently trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”.

Loosen up. A little.

Don’t allow compulsions ruin you - “I have to do only this, immediately, right now. This is the way it has to be done!” works fine until the time you are running. But the moment you start panting, you know it’s time to score off certain redundant mandates you’ve set for yourself. Make certain that the tasks on hand don’t suffocate your breath. Just prioritize and it’s fine if you cannot immediately accomplish all that you wanted. Hang in there.

Own up mistakes

You might be a winner, you might be an alpha. That doesn’t stop you from committing mistakes. And when alphas take the fall, they take it very hard. Don’t live in denial when you lose. Try and figure out why you lost, and how you can tackle the task with a new approach. Instantly, you will refurbish your ability to see your vision evidently. You will become creative and discover solutions you could never have seen before.

Journey matters

Enjoy very moment. Whether you are eating, cooking, driving, cleaning; just go slow. Live in the moment, take pleasure in every second that you have. While you maybe heading towards your destination, learn to enjoy the journey. For when you will have reached your destination, all the things you learn on your journey are what will keep you there.

Work on yourself

Do something that makes you truly proud. Be inquisitive. Explore pioneering ideas and opportunities. Be mature and realize that you’re never relatively as accurate as you think you are. Learn, unlearn, and re-learn. Make mistakes, scoff at them, learn from them, and move ahead. It’s more prudent to look behind, every now and then, as you march forward. 

Eagle view

Life is a roller coaster ride. It has its ups and downs, and the alphas are no exception to this rule. Life can never be the Hakuna Matata kind for people who are always at the top of their game. All you can do is ensure that you give your best shot everywhere and learn to step back, pause, and unwind as and when required. March ahead, but never forget where you started. Fly high, but never leave sight of the ground.