Is life really a race? If yes, then who is winning?

At the very same moment, 3 babies are born in drastically different families.

1. A boy in a slum

2. A girl (who was not supposed to be born)

3. A girl in the family of a superstar

Do you know how the next 15–20 years of these 3 children are going to be? (I am saying 15–20 years because after that, depending upon the type of personality, the circumstances can hugely change from person to person).

Of course you do.

1. The boy would have to do jobs like rag-picking from a very young age. He might not be able to go to school at all. Forget about the “luxuries” of life, it will always be a daunting task for him to even comfortably spend his childhood with the innocence that we all got to have had. The prime goal of his life would be to get a financially stable job and live his life in an area with proper sanitation.
   

2. The girl who was welcomed in the world with cries and commotion would very soon realise that she is nothing but a burden to her family. As soon as she would get six-seven years old, she'd have to take care of her younger siblings (if any) and never enjoy a single moment of her childhood. There would be no aim provided to her life except that she has to serve her purposes as a “female” throughout her life.
   

3. This girl, who became the centre of view of the paparazzi from the moment she was “conceived”, would get so much of (unwanted) attention. Sure she will have all the luxuries of life but she would suffer from a lot of pressure of maintaining the status symbol of her family. She might have to participate in beauty pageants from the age of 6–7 years and gradually all she would know would be how to carry herself when media makes every personal detail of her life public. Her purpose of the life would be to remain as sane as she can be and at the same time be the best actress ever, in an industry which is still run majorly by and on the T&Cs of men.
   

Can you see the trend?

No you cannot because there isn't any. All of them would have different struggles and different things would bring them peace and happiness.

Now coming to the question. What is a race? A competition amongst various participants starting from the same starting line and having the same ending spot, and watching who reaches that spot first.

And is life the same as a race? The starting point for each one of us is different, the final aim of each one of us is different. Heck even the path on which we have to “run” consists of different kinds of struggles.

To sum it up, no. Life is not a race. Not at all. Because life does not fulfil the definition of a race.

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But wait a minute. There sure are winners.

• Those who are able to live in the present.

• Those who possess kindness and big hearts because of whom the world seems to be a better place.

• Those who fulfil their duties with utmost devotion, no matter what their job is.

• Those who are able to provide for the people whom they love even though they have to work a little more for it than their highest capability.

• Those who spread love in the world.

All of these people are winners.

So instead of running with our eyes shut; let us all pause, open our eyes, look around, watch the beauty, love a little, be carefree for a while and voila; we might just turn into winners.

Ending the answer with a quote that is the only goal that I want to achieve in my life:

(Image from my instagram)