Aiming high is good, the higher the better!

On an interview with Reader’s Digest – Fern Britton the TV presenter warned: Modern women are too competitive with each other and it is ‘breeding inferiority complexes’ an attitude she would like to change by stopping women from constantly comparing themselves and being critical of their own gender because it led to unnecessary unhappiness. She then added that the pretense of living ‘perfect’ lives was unrealistic and put undue pressure on families!

There are a few things in her argument I find totally flawed.

First of all competitiveness is not exclusive to women, men do it too, they are just more subtle than women plus most men lack that bitchy gene we women employ so well.

Plus competition is healthy and should be encouraged and guided from an early age. We should all aspire to be the best we can and if our neighbours, friends, siblings or co-workers are where we want to be – there is no harm in using them as a benchmark or a yardstick for our own goals and successes – there is nothing negative about healthy competition!

Whenever a person aspires to be the best – we shouldn’t hold them back or put them down for it. I bet Beckham or Rooney did not aspire to be average players – nor did Obama hope to just become a lawyer – plus why did Branson and Trump lose their fortunes many times but managed to rebuild them and now sit on every top rich list – why did JK Rowling keep pressing on with Harry Potter – or Walt Disney at the age of 90+ continue to pitch his idea. They all had dreams and achieved them by pressing on!

Even though, it shouldn’t matter what someone wears, eats or drives – what fills someone with pride and a sense of achievement differs from one person to another. Who are we to dictate what people should or shouldn’t do to show that satisfaction!

Yes most of us are pretty average but that does not mean we should settle if we want to be more than just mediocre.

With the London Olympics next year we need more than ever to aim high, want more and be the best we can possibly be. This talk about settling for where you are, know your place and don’t raise your head above the parapet its wrong and disempowering – let those who want to fly soar and cheer them along the way.

But there is one thing I totally agree with Ms. Britton on and that is at times we do forget that men are actually very fond of us – and they’re not all sexist pigs – nor are they the enemy by the way! And we need to nurture them, too.