Competition vs Collaboration

Is the human condition competitive or collaborative? Some may think one is superior to the other. In reality both are valid means of achieving success. But not in the way you may think. Some may also think that to choose one is to lose the other. This is incorrect. Competition and collaboration aren't these elder gods destined to be on opposing sides of the evolutionary process. They can coexist and actually work better together given the right perspective.

When we think about competition, the preconceived notion is that there are opposing sides making attempts to dominate the other. To conquer. This is true but who are we trying to conquer? If it's individuals, groups, institutions, society or the universe that you mean to establish your sense of worth or superiority to; then the destruction that you bring shall leave you empty and you shall surely fail in achieving connection with divinity. The true competition is the one with yourself. The lesser version of you. The one that takes the easy way out. The one that resists growth. The one that resists the truth. The one that seeks to destroy because it lives in fear, hatred and loneliness. You must conquer your inner bitch. Not out of malice but out of compassion. To understand that there is something greater beyond ourselves and the only way to achieve this is to compete with ourselves. To compete with ourselves to build a better business. To build meaningful connections. To build a better self. To be in touch with the world around us. And to create a culture of growth. When we interact with others it may be necessary to compete but it should be done with the purpose of creating something greater. I call this collaborative competition. It may also be necessary to compete with someone who is competitive while they are possessed by their weaker self in order to correct them in a more positive direction or defend something in risk of being destroyed. But to reiterate, competition exists within ourselves. To build something of greater qualitative value so that we can avoid a race to the bottom.

Now when we think about collaboration, it's important to understand that it is a mutual endeavor. When we interact with others, theirs a balancing act of offering value in order to develop something greater beyond ourselves. This can be any type of relationship; platonic, romantic, business, networking. But this can often lead to some issues. Their are those who don't offer enough value or offer to much. This all stems from the insecurity of our position in the heirarchy of status. For those who believe that they don't have enough value to feel secure about themselves, they tend to be more needy of approval, validation and attention in order to compensate for their lack of self worth. For those who encounter people who they believe are of "lower status," they are afraid that their association will diminish their value in the heirarchy. In essence, it quickly becomes competitive which will lead to a race to the bottom. In reality, we are all of value and that is enough. When we are no longer concerned about what we can take from others or how we might lose value and are instead presented with the idea that we all have something inherently valuable within each and everyone of us, what does that leave us? It leaves us with to think about our potential. It leaves us with space to have empathy for others. It leaves us with the possibility of something greater beyond ourselves. When we let go of competing with others to reinforce our insecure sense of worth, we have collaboration. Bringing people together with the intended purpose of understanding and connection. That's what makes efforts and attempts to engage with the world around us so meaningful. This is what it means to serve. Not to be a servant or be served to. But to serve a greater cause beyond all of us. This is the divine experience.

So, competition and collaboration are necessary for true growth within ourselves and the world around us. They in fact are the means to developing the life you may want in your life. Want to improve your sense of self worth and confidence? Be in competition with yourself. Conquer your inner demons. Be the authority to your own personal condition. Self liberation. Want to feel connected with the world around you. Collaborate in order to create something greater beyond yourself. To bring life into this world.