Imagine a football team where every player is the same eleven identical figures on the pitch, moving in perfect symmetry, all trying to do the exact same thing. No goalkeepers, no defenders, no midfield maestros, just clones of one singular role. Would that team win? More importantly, would anyone even watch?

Football, like life, thrives on difference. The goalkeeper is the last line of defense, the only one allowed to use his hands his art is not in scoring goals, but in preventing them. The center-back, whether a towering destroyer or a calm ball-playing anchor, holds the team together with resilience and strategy. Midfielders? Even they are not all the same some orchestrate the game like a maestro, dictating the tempo, while others break lines, make late runs, or sit deep like architects of stability. Wingers dance on the flanks, some cutting inside as inverted forwards, others hugging the touchline to stretch the play. And, of course, the striker some are ruthless finishers, others false nines dropping deep, linking play. Different roles, different styles. But all necessary.

Now, imagine if life worked the same way.

Not everyone is meant to be the superstar forward. Not everyone is destined to be the deep-lying playmaker. Society, much like football, needs variety. It needs those who create and those who protect, those who lead and those who support. The mistake many make is believing that only one type of role matters that only one kind of success is valid. But a team of strikers would be as useless as a team of goalkeepers.

Even more beautiful is that players are not stuck in one role forever. A winger can become a wing-back, a forward can drop deeper into midfield, a defender can develop playmaking skills. Life, too, allows for reinvention. We can learn, adapt, shift positions when the game demands it. And just like in football, different matches require different players. Some battles in life need patience; others need aggression. Some moments demand leadership; others call for silent support.

So, instead of wishing everyone played the same way, embrace the diversity of styles. Some will be the playmakers, others the enforcers. Some will shine under the floodlights, others will do the unseen work that holds everything together. All are vital.

And most importantly when life changes the formation, don’t be afraid to switch positions.