Competition.

The American dream somehow glorifies competition.  We should all be trying to be the best, the smartest, the richest, the most beautiful.

But competition is my enemy.  I get sucked into way too easily and I think most people do.  The trick is how you handle it.

It is way too easy to start comparing myself to everyone else.  “They” have more money, more opportunity, more friends, more fun….more everything.  And then I want to try to compete and there is just no way I possibly can.

The problem with comparing myself to everyone else is that I will never measure up.  Because the voices in my head lie.  They play the victim…poor me…I don’t have any money.  I am not pretty enough, young enough, fun enough.  Poor me….no one loves me…pretty soon I am Eeyore throwing my own pity party in my head.

This weekend has been a lesson on many levels in competition.  It always seems to be that way, doesn’t it?  When it rains…it pours.

But I refuse to allow myself to play the competition game and throw the resulting pity party.  Because it is a futile effort.   I know that happiness and fulfillment don’t come from the things that the world tells me I need to have (material or otherwise).  And when I am not so busy looking at the things I don’t have – I am very happy.  It is the window shopping that gets me into trouble. 

So maybe I will stay away from the temptation to browse around the things I don’t have and more wisely invest in the things I do have. 

Just a thought…