A Message from Three-Year-Old Me
(It rings pretty true.)
The other day, a strong instinct / memory / feeling came through from what felt like three-year-old me.
“I never wanted to compete,” said Young Bruce, “I just wanted to contribute.”
The emotion attached to this statement implied that he wanted to live in a community in which this was the norm: everyone contributes, no one competes.
Before my brain kicked in, this felt wonderful.
Why, wondered 2026 Me, do we need competition to bring out our best? Why can’t we muster original and inspired work simply because we want to pull our fair share of the load?
But there’s another aspect to this message from the past, this remnant of the way I used to be.
The message made me realize that all of my instincts to get good grades, get promoted, attract more attention and even have a bigger impact… are learned behaviors that are foreign to my true nature.
The Original Bruce, the one that existed before peer pressure and societal expectations, didn’t care at all about winning. He just wanted to have friends and be friendly.
Who was the Original You? Can you remember?
I think I'm rediscovering the original me.
The original me would have hung out with the original you --if she could have had the guts to say hello -- she did not want to compete or stand out either! Today, I just don't want to compete.