Category Archives: Competition

It is through collaboration not competition that we survive and thrive. We are better together.

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It is through collaboration not competition that we survive and thrive. We are better together.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Duy Pham

Have you ever investigated the secrets of living a long and happy life?

Numerous factors lead to longevity, but only one stands at the top.

Beyond a healthy diet, regular exercise, a sense of purpose, and various spiritual pursuits, it’s our relationships that offer us a few more times around the sun.

It’s our families, friends, and other communities that are there in good times and bad.

When we sometimes fall, it’s a neighbor or other special person checking in on us to make sure we are OK that often saves the day.

EXERCISE:

How rich and rewarding are your relationships and community interactions?

What new and different approaches can you take — now and in the future — to have your life be better when you get together?

Where do you ignore your limits

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Where do you ignore your limits?  How might you honor them today?

—Calm app Reflection

Image from Unsplash by André Bandarra

Where in your personal or professional life have your competitive spirit and ability to push yourself served you or set you back?

There are two sides to this coin, and sometime realizing our limitations can be liberating and transformative.

By embracing our limits, we can often more fully experience each moment with greater awareness and clarity before we take our next step.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently bumping up against a limitation where you feel stuck or stopped?

Where might honoring this closed door reveal a different opening or possibility you never considered?

“When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.”

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“When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.”

—African proverb

Image from Unsplash by Jonathan Plugaru

Who are the elephants in your world? Take a look through your personal and professional communities. Look also beyond your immediate communities to national and global elephants that are throwing their weight around.

How are their skirmishes and all-out brawls impacting the grass and smaller, less powerful creatures beneath their feet? How much disruption, destruction, and scars are left that may never fully heal?

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you use the sunnier, milder days of the coming spring to calm the elephants in your world?

What actions can you take to reseed your world for all creatures to graze in peace?

“How are you doing at keeping up with yourself?”

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“How are you doing at keeping up with yourself?”

—Author Unknown

When someone asks How are you doing?, where do you go to look for your answer?

Far too often, many of us look to compare our lots in life with those displayed in the media. This comparison with others can be a slippery slope, often leaving many feeling stressed, anxious, and even depressed.

Many authorities suggest that a more empowering and positive approach is to focus primarily on bettering oneself and only competing with the person you were yesterday.

EXERCISE:

What actions and efforts are you taking these days to not only keep up but exceed your previous self?

Consider engaging the support of a coach, mentor, friend, or family member to increase the likelihood of success.

The path of least resistance is what makes rivers run crooked

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“The path of least resistance is what makes rivers run crooked.”

—Elbert Hubbard, 19th Century American writer and philosopher

Image of crooked river

Image from Unsplash by Wynand Uys

Looking for short cuts and taking the easy route to success is a common trait in our fast-paced world. I find it quite humorous that when I go to my health club each morning, people are competing for the parking spot closest to the entrance to eliminate a twenty-second walk before their one-hour workout.

It is actually this resistance and the level of challenge in our workouts and in life that supports the greatest growth and achievement toward our personal and professional objectives.

EXERCISE:

Where would Taking the Stairs, Eating That Frog, and a bit more Grit help you move directly toward one of your most important goals? Consider reading one or all of these books.

Be distinct or be extinct

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“Be distinct or be extinct.”

—Kevin Noland, CEO of A.D.A.M.

Poster proclaiming "So What?"

With ever increasing competition and transparency in the business world, buyers of products and services seem to have the upper hand. We are all just a few clicks away from having reasonable, accurate, and objective information on just about anything and anyone.

Have you ever heard of the “So What Test”? If not, imagine going to a networking event in which you are given 30 or 60 seconds to introduce yourself, your service, and perhaps your product. Now imagine if the person you are speaking with actually was rude enough to say, “So What?” aloud, instead of keeping this thought to themselves.

EXERCISE:

What is truly unique, special, and distinctive about you, your product, or service?

What could you share about what you have to offer that would raise a few more eyebrows?

What are the reasons people may be saying Yes to your competition and No to you more often than you would like?

Use What Talent You Possess

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“Use what talent you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.”

—Henry Van Dyke, 20th Century American educator

Image of Olympic Ice Skaters

Image from Flickr by Rach

We live in a hyper-competitive world. Simply look around and see the countless examples in your personal and professional worlds.

For our children, it begins quite early with school and sports and other extra-curricular activities. As we enter our early adult years, the competition to get in the best schools and desirable companies can be fierce. Then we have to climb the corporate ladder.

Perhaps the primary goal of our journey through life is to reveal our unique abilities and talents. Perhaps it is our job or purpose to express and share them with the world as we become better versions of ourselves.

EXERCISE:

What are your special talents? How can and will you develop them to your fullest capacity, and offer them generously within your communities with your voice both loud and proud?

Friday Review Competition

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FRIDAY REVIEW: COMPETITION

How do you view and deal with competition? Here are a few competition-related posts you may have missed.

 

“If a man does his best, what else is there?”

 

 

 

 

“If you wish to be out front, act as if you were behind.”

 

 

 

 

 

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

 

 

 

 

The Spur of Competition

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“Without the spur of competition we’d loaf out our life.”

—Arnold Glasow, 20th Century American Businessman

Image of a bicycle race

Image from Flickr by Rob Annis

Growing up, few kids wanted to be called a “Loaf.” Although the word has many meanings, in today’s quote it refers to being a procrastinator, or lazy.

Sports, getting good grades, and even entering the working world were the spurs that had me leap into my days with energy and enthusiasm, striving for success.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional world would a greater spirit of competition spur you on to higher levels of success?

From ME to WE

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“I’m not interested in competing with anyone. I hope we all make it.”

-Erica Cook, Interior Designer and Blogger

QC #997
A few weekends ago my wife Wendy and I watched the movie, Where to Invade Next, in which Michael Moore compared the views of people from many countries regarding education, healthcare, equality, and business, to those of Americans.

His journey to explore a wide variety of routes to success and bring them back to America was fascinating. He discovered—surprisingly—that there are many ways to succeed that seem contrary to what one might think.

A significant take-away for me was the many examples of happiness and success in which collective achievements and the care of everyone within the community was paramount.

EXERCISE:

Where would a shift from a “ME” perspective to a “WE” approach make the biggest difference in either your personal or professional worlds?