Why it doesn’t matter what other’s are doing. You can do and have anything you want. You have the world at your feet.
The Emphasis on Competition in Business
This article will focus on competition in the context of starting a business, but this topic is applicable to any area of life in which one strives to succeed and “stand out” amongst others who are “competing” for visibility and recognition. Business is nothing more than an energetic exchange (of our time and energy) involving a virtual or physical representation of assigned value. Money itself is a number that we agree has value.
We place a lot of importance on this agreed upon value. For example, I have $100,000 in savings and Jimmy has $100, so I must be doing better than Jimmy. What if Jimmy has a solid character and open heart. What if Jimmy had a rough childhood and personal as well as generational trauma? What if Jimmy is disabled and does not have the same professional opportunities that someone of optimal physical and mental health would have? What if Jimmy experienced identity theft and is struggling to recover? What if Jimmy values humanitarian efforts over material and monetary abundance?
I know that we can all agree that financial and professional success is only one definition of success. It is also one facet of abundance. Abundance can also appear in the form of rich relationships, social connections, good health, gifts and talents, and the inner joy and gratitude that one feels when they feel content with what they have in life and live with an open heart.
Coming back to our original theme now: Competition. The subject feels heavy after that last paragraph, doesn’t it? With it comes a lot of fear: A fear of survival, a fear of not being loved, recognized or accepted, a fear of rejection, a fear of abandonment… The list goes on. The recognition and preoccupation with competition is not rooted in love, but in fear.
Researching the competition appears to be a very logical approach. If you were to invest your time and resources in a business endeavour, wouldn’t you want to have a thorough understanding of what the competition was doing? I am not arguing that having an awareness of what is available in the market is a bad idea- rather the contrary. Being informed is great. I suggest that it is your intention that matters. Are you looking into the competition out of curiosity to see what value is being offered and to understand what makes you unique, or are you anxiously trying to find a hole in the market that you can fill before someone else does?
Heart-Centered Entrepreneurship
The desire to start a business should come from the heart. It should be inspired by your personal gifts and passions, and the process of starting a business should feel organic and aligned with your heart. It should feel easy at moments that you are surrending to this process and allowing it to unfold. Your intention should be to provide value, rather than seek gain. This is what business is based on, after all: providing value. One does not start a business then decide how they will provide value. It is the other way around. Decide what you want to give, then allow things to unfold. If you want to give to people, why would they not be open to receive? And if you truly wanted to give, your desire to give would be in response to what you observed in their experience: How are they struggling? What do they need? How can you help them grow? How can you make their lives easier?
Do you get the idea? If you are providing value and giving from the heart, what does it matter what the competition is doing? The ego is no longer an active component in this process because you are not preoccupied with your well-being and your safety. You are focused on others and you are so excited to help others that you are having a blast and fear does not touch you. You are enjoying the process and you somehow trust that everything will work out.
Cultivating Trust
The antidote to fear is trust, and we can spend our lives cultivating trust and letting go of the fears and limiting beliefs that we accumulated over the years. Have compassion for yourself throughout this process and recognize that it is just that: a process. You are learning. You can make mistakes and you can even repeat the same unhealthy patterns for years- it doesn’t matter. The idea is to cultivate conscious awareness and practice self-observation. Reflect on what is behind your behavior, what is motivating you, what you are seeking. This self-study, along with self-compassion and self-care, is what will bring growth and change. You will see more abundance in all areas of your life. You will see plenty of evidence that love wins over fear, encouraging you to cultivate more love, more trust, more compassion. The fear will lose its hold over you and you will inspire others to question their own fears. Advance towards love and reframe your outlook to see competition for what it really is: other humans (hopefully) striving to provide value and make the world a better place.