It’s almost that time of year again, when kids all around the country start playing sports via various school programmes, college football season begins, and the professional baseball season winds down. In recent years, however, the word “competition” in the United States has taken on a negative meaning.
The Ribbons
Instead of picking winners and losers in events where kids are involved, we now give them participation ribbons and medals so they don’t have to feel terrible about themselves. While some may see competition negatively, others see it as a healthy incentive to improve. Do you recall when NFL linebacker James Harrison discovered out his kids had won awards for doing absolutely nothing? He sent the trophies back to the school with a message saying that they would only be accepted if it could be shown that the students had really earned them. A lot of the parents got up to applaud. Why? Because they understood the value of healthy rivalry.
It’s natural to feel a little bit of competitiveness
Friends, coworkers, family members, and complete strangers are all fair game for competitive impulses. The capacity to control our competitive fervour will serve us well in many aspects of life. Avoiding or poorly handling healthy competition may lead to feelings of entitlement, jealousy, and cynicism.
Having some healthy rivalry may be beneficial in many ways
It motivates us to strive for excellence and to avoid being complacent. As a result, we often try forth novel approaches. Consider how often teams are required to bid on contracts or earn bonuses by outperforming the competition and how much more imaginatively they work as a consequence. They are not only tested to their limits in terms of success, but also grow as a unit through the ordeal.
The existence of rivals also teaches us about our strengths and weaknesses
Comparing oneself favourably to others is one way to improve one’s own opinion of oneself. My participation in music contests, for example, helped me identify my weaknesses and opportunities for improvement. This helped me in establishing goals for my practising sessions.
Furthermore, competition encourages us to persevere in the face of adversity
Even if we don’t finish first or don’t quite make the cut, we keep plugging away until we get there. We keep running despite the fact that we can see the end of the race. Inspiration frequently comes from studying the lives of others who overcame great odds to realise their dreams.
It’s not about winning or losing, but about how you play the game, as the old saying goes. Be kind in defeat. Show kindness even if you’ve already won. Keep God at the centre of your life. Stop comparing yourself to others and start using the talents God has given you to the fullest. Instead, open the door for others to help you develop your skills, inspire you, and propel you forwards in the race of life.
Conclusion
If you have a constant drive to outperform your previous efforts, you will never stop developing. However, if you simply care about beating your competition, you may start to feel content with yourself after you’ve achieved the pinnacle of achievement. Your own healthy sense of competition will push you to make significant gains.
