In
my life I have been in situations where the sole purpose of getting/winning
something was a spirit of competition. I do not know what is the source of this
mentality – my background, genes, upbringing, or the environment I am exposed
to. But one thing I know for sure that it can soon turn ugly and lead to situations
and decisions that I have regretted later (personal experience). I was always
confused about this issue, but not anymore. It is one of those moments when you meet someone who has a deep understanding of life and the answer hits you in a way
that resonates with your consciousness. Here is the summary of the interaction
I had with this wise guy. He answered using an example of students trying
to get more marks in tests, but the idea is true for any kind of competition.
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My
question was – how do I handle competition without thinking too much about the competitors and the prize?
Do not try to find poor substitutes for
truth. Now to study in a university or do something in life you do not have to
compete with anybody. If you are truly interested in knowing what you want to
study/do, you will study to the best of your ability, not because your friend
is studying but you want to know. That is why you are studying. When you study
like this, your study releases you, it is a liberating process, it enhances your
growth, but when you study to get one mark more than your friend you are
getting entangled and you become sick in the process. To do what you want to do
well, you do not have to compete with anybody. What is it that you want to do?
Throw your life and do it. What has to happen will happen according to your
capabilities, your intelligence, and your abilities. Somebody is doing
something if you try to do that you will go mad or in other words if you
compete with somebody you also limit yourself, you do not realize your full
potential. If someone is a monkey you will become a little better monkey than
him.
So in summary do what you want to do and throw
your life at it, what has to happen will happen as per your capability.
I
was super silent after this answer and could literally hear every sound in the environment,
it shook me in a very positive way, that cannot be captured in words.
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