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A reflection on competitiveness

Competitiveness is born from the idea of limited resources and/or superiority, in other words, from the notion of separation. In some cases it is to consider that there is not enough for all, this leads to competition in order to survive. It’s innate in all of us. Since the beginning of humankind and for thousands of years, our survival as a species was not assured, there were constant threats, from animals, famishes, illnesses and confrontations between humans. But nowadays, for the vast majority of people, that is no longer the case, even though there are still wars and illnesses, it is much less than before. Collectively, we are living in our best moments. However, after so many years of fighting for survival, this pattern has become deeply ingrained, even in our genetic codes, and it makes us perpetuate the same attitude even when it is no longer necessary.

Metaphorically speaking, according to you, you look at a field and see that there is only one orange tree with 3 oranges, and you see 10 people who want those oranges, so you feel you must fight and compete for them. This happens because you are wearing a pair of donkey ears which only allow you to see one part of that field, you can only see what it right in front of you. The reality is that if you removed those ears, you would discover that you are standing in an infinite filed of orange, apple and pear trees, and all you need to do is walk amongst the trees, peacefully and without fighting anyone, and pick as many of the fruits as you desire.

What are those donkey ears? Control. You live wanting to have control of everything. You won’t accept any  job, it has to be the job you want, in the location you want, with the pay you want. You won’t accept living in any comfortable place, it has to be the place you want to live in.  You won’t accept your partner just the way they are, they have to be the way you want them to be. Forcing everything to be exactly as you desire it, without ever sacrificing, that is control. And because then you don’t have the home, the partner, the job, the money in your terms, as you dictate they should be, you convince yourself that none of these are enough and you begin competing with others who are also wearing their own donkey ears.

You will occasionally be able to choose and to do things just as you want, but at other times you must accept and make sacrifices. If you want to work in something you like, you have every right to do so and you must make an effort to make that happen, but you must accept sacrificing the where or when it will happen, and accept the need to adapt and flow to where it is possible. Decide what you want, remove the donkey ears, expand your vision and contemplate the entire field, you will then discover which areas of the field are fertile, which are infertile and which direction you must move towards in order to reap successfully.

Competing with other people, or companies, is to fight them for your own benefit and all conflicts will lead to and become a cause for suffering. In a fight, in a war, there are never any winners, all suffer. While you are in competition, you are full of nervousness and stress because of your desire to win. Then, if you lose, that makes you suffer more, and if you win, your pride increases, and the next competition will have even more stress and anxiety because you’ll have to maintain the previous victory, at some point you will loose and suffer all you have accumulated.

Other times, you will compete to demonstrate your superiority in front of others. This desire to prove how good you are to others, including yourself,  is born from an inner emptiness that we try to fill through a sense of superiority, of being better. This emptiness is the right to life,you want to convince yourself that you have the right to that job, to that partner, that house, that promotion, to success. So, contemplate the biological process of birth and death; how is one human different from another then?. The answer , there is no difference; the forms and shapes, the places may differ, but the natural process in itself is exactly the same for all, therefore, what makes you think you have more of a right than others?

Your studies and background, your culture, your money, your actions……..none of these make you better than others, they do not make you more worthy or more deserving, all they do is make you very efficient in a determined area or expertise, that’s all. Of course, you have the right to experience that which you desire, but no more than anyone else. So make an effort to be very efficient in all aspects of your life instead of competing.

When the sun rises every morning, it doesn’t analize every human being to determine how much light and warmth it will bestow upon each person, the sun simply shines, full stop. Some may go out to bask in the sunshine, others hide form it in the shade or under an umbrella, whilst complaining there isn’t enough sunshine, but the Sun makes no distinction. This Sun/Light are the opportunities of Life. Life makes no distinction between people. Life creates continues and infinite possibilities equally for all, some will make the most of them, others hide in the shade whilst wearing their donkey ears;  so, leave the shade, accept making a few sacrifices, make an effort, look up, the Sun and Life will be shining just as brightly for you as for all others.

The solution to competitiveness is Unity and Global Perspective. The Unity of understanding that each human being is like a cell in your body and all those people together form the complete Body, therefore, fighting another person is like fighting yourself. It is understanding that there is no difference or separation between you and our neighbor.

In order to achieve and have a Global Perspective, it is necessary lo step away from egocentrism and from concern for only the self which excludes others. It is necessary to begin to perceive and think in terms of Everything and in that Everything, you must be included in that Everything as well. It is to understand that nobody and nothing belongs to you, you were born with nothing and with no one, and so it shall be when you depart. Accept that not all will be comfortable with you, not everyone will like you, not everyone will like your work and you cannot cover 100% of any area/matter.  So, if you lose a friend, a client, a partner, because they go with/to another company or person, instead of fighting to keep them,  perceive it globally. They never belonged to you, if you benefitted from their presence in your life,  now someone else will benefit, so connect with  gratitude for the time that it lasted, and with  joy because that person has found a place where they can feel well and happy. Then make an effort, work, be efficient, have Faith, go out and enjoy the light of the Sun and then life will bring someone who will feel happy and well with you and you with them, then Life will bring you what you need and more. Shivagam