How rethinking Competition can help create a better world
We live in a world where competition appears to be a normal part of everyday human life. Individually we can believe we are in competition with others to be superior -- from climbing the corporate ladder to needing a fancy car or the latest smartphone. We can also believe we are in competition with ourselves and figuratively beat ourselves up if we don’t win at something.
Globally, we see sports teams competing for the win, businesses competing to be the top company in their field or race to achieve the most market share, and world leaders trying to outgun another leader(s) through military might, financial and unbalanced trade deals -- all to be recognized as the superior leader on the world stage.
Competition is so prevalent in our human culture that even people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves as being competitive would be surprised at how competitive they can become if something comes along to bring their competitive side to the forefront. I know I’ve experienced this much to my surprise.
Yet Competition is an Illusion
Like all illusions, competition is something the ego has created for itself as part of the human experience and some even say it is a natural response of the brain in its mission to ensure we survive and thrive individually and as a species.
Yet in those quiet moments of pondering and reflection, we understand that being human is an experience we are having and not who and what we are at our core. When we step back and look at who and what we are from the bigger picture, we know we are a part of everything that ever was, is or will be and as such, we are not separate from each other. We are one.
Once we begin to see past the Illusion of Separation, we naturally begin to see past the Illusion of Competition. We understand that competition is simply a desire of the ego and nothing else. For it is the ego that believes we are separate from others and because of this will experience fear of being isolated; fear of not being good enough; fear of being rejected; fear of not being superior to another.
Stepping outside of our ego (if only for a moment) we know that when we desire to compete against another for the purpose of superiority, we are competing with our own ego.
It’s time for a Global MindShift
While competition continues to be a part of the human experience I believe we are now at a point in our evolution and our consciousness where we can and need to shift away from the current definition and expression of competition.
For example, The English Oxford Living Dictionaries defines competition as "The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others." (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/competition)
Looking at the current definition we can see the role competition is playing in our individual lives, the illusion of separation and the unsustainable trajectory we find ourselves on in terms of life on planet Earth.
By shifting our understanding to knowing there is no one to compete against for superiority, we can change the definition and ultimately the expression of competition to be something like, “The activity or condition of striving to be all that we can be in a way that honors the individual and all life without the need to be superior over another.”
When we shift our thinking and expression of competition it allows competition to continue but in a way that benefits us as individuals and as a collective. Imagine the life and world we would create if we shifted.
Are you ready to shift?
It all starts with observing yourself. When you observe yourself being competitive, ask yourself "am I striving to be all I can be in a way that honors me and all life or is my ego caught up in the illusion of believing it needs to be superior to another?"
‘Til next time if you liked this, please social share it. Together we can help create a global mind shift.
