Competition - What's It Doing to You?
- by Tony Mase
© Tony Mase - All Rights Reserved
=====================================
Competition gets all kinds of good attention. Economics
professors talk about how great it is for business and
athletes talk about how great it is for their performance.
But is competition really a good thing?
If you look carefully, you'll see that competition can
actually hold you back - even consume you - if you let it
take over your life.
The competition in your life started early - when you were a
baby, to be exact. After all, you had to compete for your
mother's undivided attention so you could have your diaper
changed, get your bottle, or play in your swing.
From there, it only got worse. You had siblings and
classmates to worry about. You were always trying to beat
out the other kids - whether it was a game of kickball at
recess, the annual school science fair, or for the attention
of the cute girl on the playground. When you were better
than the competition, you got a trophy, a ribbon, a
certificate, or the honor of taking the cute little girl to
the school dance. No matter what, there was always a reward.
Those rewards have only gotten bigger as you've gotten
older. Now, there's not just a ribbon at stake - there's a
major business deal at stake. You don't just want to have a
nice car; you want the nicest car on the block.
That's why it's difficult to be competitive without being
jealous - and one reason why competition can be so
dangerous. After all, if you didn't get to take the little
girl to the dance, you probably hated the boy who did. Or,
if another company landed the big business deal you wanted,
you're probably really jealous of them for it.
The dictionary defines being jealous as being "distrustfully
watchful and suspicious". Does that sound like the person
you want to be?
So, what's the solution?
Simple... Stop competing!
If you use what you want as a motivation, it can be a great
thing. For example, if you really want that big business
deal, use that feeling to prepare extra-hard for your
meeting. But if you don't land the deal, don't become
jealous over it.
Instead of hating the guy down the street for landing the
deal, focus on your personal talents. Sure, the other guy
got the business deal, but you're great at things he isn't.
Maybe you're more personable to your clients than he is or
maybe you have a better vision for the future of your
company than he does for his. If you look at things that
way, you'll be able to be happy for the guy down the street
- instead of hating his guts.
Think of it this way - you'll probably never win an Olympic
gold medal. But does that stop you from being happy for the
people who do? When your favorite team wins the Super Bowl,
are you jealous of the quarterback? No. You're just happy
for your favorite athletes. If you can learn to adopt this
attitude in everyday life, you'll be a lot happier and
healthier.
The next time your competitive juices start flowing:
- Learn from others who are better at something than you are
and use it to improve yourself.
- Surround yourself with happy, successful people, so it
rubs off on you.
- Be inspired by someone else's success, instead of being
jealous over it.
Remember, each day is a gift. If you let your ego have its
way, you'll never be as happy as you could be. Instead,
focus on filling your part of the world with the best you
that you can be!
-----
Tony Mase is a serious student of the works of Wallace D.
Wattles and the publisher of the "A Powerful Life: The Lost
Writings of Wallace D. Wattles" ebook by Wallace D.
Wattles...
==========================================================
"A Powerful Life: The Lost Writings of Wallace D. Wattles"
"The Law of Opulence" by Wallace D. Wattles together with
twenty-two other rare books and articles written by Wallace
D. Wattles.
Click Here Now
- by Tony Mase
© Tony Mase - All Rights Reserved
=====================================
Competition gets all kinds of good attention. Economics
professors talk about how great it is for business and
athletes talk about how great it is for their performance.
But is competition really a good thing?
If you look carefully, you'll see that competition can
actually hold you back - even consume you - if you let it
take over your life.
The competition in your life started early - when you were a
baby, to be exact. After all, you had to compete for your
mother's undivided attention so you could have your diaper
changed, get your bottle, or play in your swing.
From there, it only got worse. You had siblings and
classmates to worry about. You were always trying to beat
out the other kids - whether it was a game of kickball at
recess, the annual school science fair, or for the attention
of the cute girl on the playground. When you were better
than the competition, you got a trophy, a ribbon, a
certificate, or the honor of taking the cute little girl to
the school dance. No matter what, there was always a reward.
Those rewards have only gotten bigger as you've gotten
older. Now, there's not just a ribbon at stake - there's a
major business deal at stake. You don't just want to have a
nice car; you want the nicest car on the block.
That's why it's difficult to be competitive without being
jealous - and one reason why competition can be so
dangerous. After all, if you didn't get to take the little
girl to the dance, you probably hated the boy who did. Or,
if another company landed the big business deal you wanted,
you're probably really jealous of them for it.
The dictionary defines being jealous as being "distrustfully
watchful and suspicious". Does that sound like the person
you want to be?
So, what's the solution?
Simple... Stop competing!
If you use what you want as a motivation, it can be a great
thing. For example, if you really want that big business
deal, use that feeling to prepare extra-hard for your
meeting. But if you don't land the deal, don't become
jealous over it.
Instead of hating the guy down the street for landing the
deal, focus on your personal talents. Sure, the other guy
got the business deal, but you're great at things he isn't.
Maybe you're more personable to your clients than he is or
maybe you have a better vision for the future of your
company than he does for his. If you look at things that
way, you'll be able to be happy for the guy down the street
- instead of hating his guts.
Think of it this way - you'll probably never win an Olympic
gold medal. But does that stop you from being happy for the
people who do? When your favorite team wins the Super Bowl,
are you jealous of the quarterback? No. You're just happy
for your favorite athletes. If you can learn to adopt this
attitude in everyday life, you'll be a lot happier and
healthier.
The next time your competitive juices start flowing:
- Learn from others who are better at something than you are
and use it to improve yourself.
- Surround yourself with happy, successful people, so it
rubs off on you.
- Be inspired by someone else's success, instead of being
jealous over it.
Remember, each day is a gift. If you let your ego have its
way, you'll never be as happy as you could be. Instead,
focus on filling your part of the world with the best you
that you can be!
-----
Tony Mase is a serious student of the works of Wallace D.
Wattles and the publisher of the "A Powerful Life: The Lost
Writings of Wallace D. Wattles" ebook by Wallace D.
Wattles...
==========================================================
"A Powerful Life: The Lost Writings of Wallace D. Wattles"
"The Law of Opulence" by Wallace D. Wattles together with
twenty-two other rare books and articles written by Wallace
D. Wattles.
Click Here Now