In the circles I keep both in personal and business life there is a real down beat feeling when it comes to competition. It as if it has become outdated and somehow really really wrong.
Although I do remember when I was young too there was an anti-competition lobby for schools and the gripe was that competition bred some kind of elitism and therefore was unequal and fed inequality.
Without making this about political preferences, it is quite an immature view that competition will make the elite more elite, a view held by people on either side of the fence, one obviously wanting to preserve the other wanting to do the opposite.
Equally and no pun intended a view that a lack or absence of competition will create equality, even in opportunity is just a naive idealism.
If elite in this context means that you are good at something and you excel then maybe that is your gift zone. If so, what is wrong with excelling and being given the opportunities to excel?
Taking the school scenario if I was a music genius, and I am not, but if I was, why would it be okay to ignore my gift and push me to science subjects where my gifts were pretty mediocre at best?
That seems counter intuitive to me.
Fast forward...
In life now in the world of new paradigm business, much of which is based on the Dalai Lama misused, misquoted out of context statement that the western woman will save the world and some tribal view of women sitting in circle coming together to share nursing duties, in this case coming together to say hey we don't compete we cooperate...
...My question for you today is why are cooperation and competition mutually exclusive?
The energy and essence of competition isn't dark and shady. Yet like so many empowering terms the New Agers have claimed it and stamped it as a bad thing.
What is wrong with a bit of competition...?
Doesn't it support you in bring out your best and giving it your all?
Isn't it exhilarating when you are running for the finish line, giving it your all and you came maybe 3rd or even 4th but smashed your personal best?
Were the other runners not an inspiration for you as well as markers to keep going?
That is healthy competition. That is inspired competition.
The reason competition isn't seen as new paradigm and to be avoided at all costs, is the one where there is underhand practices.
When did being afraid of the shadow mean that we just avoid the fun part, just in case?
Maybe the New Agers are trying to stop people who aren't in the lead or at the top of their own game from feeling bad...but that has nothing to do with those who are excelling. That is more about the unbalanced emotions of the one who has decided to take inadequacy as a badge!
Competition is good for the soul with cooperation.
Cooperating isn't solely about others it is about how you cooperate with yourself. Will you self-harm with emotions or will you harm others? Will you at a drop of a hat tell yourself you weren't good enough, other people are better than you which means you aren't worth it...or that others are undeserving of their success, I mean you have worked harder in a day then they have their whole life...?
When you are in harm of self or others, you are not in cooperation with your soul or the divine plan. Harm is a distortion of the true human condition and making competition 'bad' or wrong is just the illusion to cover up the energetic self-harm.
Competition can be fun and can bring out the best in individuals and helps to grow the metaphoric muscle of their true self. Like all muscles it will grow you to be strong and powerful if you allow it to. Truth is there is nothing inauthentic about competition but yes we agree the shadow isn't fun but that can be true for anything and the shadow is also just a place that needs more light!
Cooperation is of course a good thing but if it is based on self-sacrifice, fear of excelling out of the community, fear of pushing oneself, then how is this serving your true purpose and the community you aspire to contribute to?
Do you agree that there is need for a new conversation about competition, I do because if we don't then women are short changing themselves and this is linked to a fear of success...why not join in below?
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/David Castillo Dominici