Stop Competing & Start Succeeding

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others.  

Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?' 

-Brian Tracy

We have all experienced those moments when a friend comes to us to enthusiastically share the details of their newest accomplishment.  We smile politely and perhaps even tell them we are happy for them.  But are we really? 

Alternatively, we have all watched a friend attempt to start a business, get a degree, or strive to obtain a goal in which they have failed miserably.  We tell them we are sorry that things did not go as they had hoped and that we wish the best for them.  But do we really?

Humans are competitive by nature.  We tend to have the misguided notion that the success of others somehow limits the opportunity of our own success.  We cringe inside when we hear of a friend obtaining a goal that we had hopes of reaching.  We eagerly await their fiascos and secretly delight in their misfortune.  The majority of this completion is masked behind smiles and well-wishes.  At times, we may not even be fully aware of our intentions until we suddenly wonder why we feel animosity when we come into contact with or read about a certain successful individual that started out in the same place as us.  We begin to wonder what we are doing so wrong and what they are doing so right.  This obsession with constantly comparing our own accomplishments with those around us causes us to actually begin losing focus on our goals.

While competition is a basic characteristic of human nature, we ultimately have the ability to decide how we will react to situations that cause us to feel inadequate.  When we consciously choose to be genuinely happy and supportive of those we come into contact with we suddenly find ourselves surrounded with a prosperous, accomplished support group.  This is a fundamental aspect of reaching success in our own lives.  There is no shortage of good fortune or triumph.  You can reach your goals while supporting those around you in their own endeavors.  There are going to inevitably be moments when someone “out-succeeds” you.  This is not a failure on your part.  It is an opportunity to learn from a friend, to cheer on a colleague, and to grow as an individual. 

I choose to let go of the resentment I am tempted to hold towards those who obtain greater (or merely different) levels of success.  I choose to be sincere when praising the accomplishments of others.  I choose to provide genuine support without self-serving motives to friends who fail in their endeavors.  I choose to stop comparing my achievements with those of others.  I choose to focus on my goals and surround myself with likeminded individuals.

Blessings to you all!

                                                                                                                                                                                  

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. 
But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another,

 they are without understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:12