Economics professors will teach you that competition is good for business, especially for the consumer. Competition keeps a business or person on his best behavior and the result is the best for all concerned. It keeps the other person from gaining an unfair advantage as they continue to compete for more business or whatever favor is sought.
Competition is defined as a contest between two rivals and the effort of two or more parties to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms.
We experience competition throughout our entire life and it starts at a very early age.
We get our first taste of competition as a baby when we compete for exclusive attention from our mother. This continues as we grow older and compete for recognition from our siblings or classmates.
Early on in school, we were encouraged to win and be the best. Now, many schools are teaching it’s better to play a good game and not so important to win or be the best. Which is better could make for a long debate.
It’s difficult to be competitive without being jealous. Jealous is defined as being intolerant of rivalry and vigilant in guarding a possession. The dictionary also describes being jealous as distrustfully watchful and suspicious. Some of these qualities are not ones we want to cultivate.
As we become competitive and jealous we learn to believe that another person’s success lessens our own. In business we want that exclusive contract with X Company, as a person we demand exclusive love from our mate, as a neighbor we may want a bigger house and a fancier car. Competition may be advantageous to a point as long as it doesn’t render us jealous and possessive.
We must think of the world as abundantly filled with enough for everyone. If we don’t have as much as our business associates and neighbors we should be happy for their success and help them achieve more if possible. It’s impossible to help others achieve without helping ourselves at the same time.
We’re all born with our personal talents and there are others who have talents we’ll never possess. We’ll probably never win an Olympic gold medal but we’re happy for those who do. We enjoy their accomplishments vicariously. Many watch athletic events and cheer on their team and celebrate their victory. We must do this in everyday life as well.
Learn from those who are better than you and improve. Surround yourself with happy successful people and you’ll be happy and successful too. Strive not to be in competition and jealous of everyone but to work with everyone to achieve a common goal. If you lose something after you’ve done all you can to keep or gain then be happy for whoever gained it. This isn’t easy, but neither is life.
Be inspired with success whether it’s yours or others. Strive to be the best but eschew jealousy. Enjoy life and each day in it. Don’t allow your ego to get in the way of a life filled with happiness. You are part of the world as a whole. Fill it the best you can.
