The idea that people are competing with you may, in many ways, be just a mindset. Competition only thrives in crowded spaces. If you carve out a niche of relevance for yourself, consistently and intentionally, competitors may only be left to trail you.
To my mind, the real competition isn’t with the people or brands around you. It’s more with your own dreams for humanity, how far your mind is willing to stretch, and how much capacity your brain is willing to build to deliver fresh solutions continuously.
When you spend too much energy worrying about who is doing better, who is trying to outperform you, who is making moves, or who is “ahead,” you unknowingly waste the strength that should be fuelling your creativity. Competing with others makes you more reactive than innovative. But when you compete with your own potential and hold yourself to the highest standard of relevance, you step into a space where very few people operate.
Did you know there are still countless untapped areas of life, many of them currently dismissed as “unthinkable” or “crazy” until a trailblazer gets it done? The light bulb was once a crazy idea. Flying airplanes was once considered madness. Smartphones, the internet, Artificial Intelligence (Internet of Things); were all laughed at in their early days.
So, stop and ask yourself:
– How deeply do you think about improving the world’s processes?
– How large is your heart for relevance?
– How hungry are you to leave a brainchild in the world as your legacy?
Ever thought about being the first to:
- Design brick or concrete houses that can be relocated at will, so that people can move with their preferred houses to new locations seamlessly. Imagine families moving with their homes whenever they wished. That’s a need waiting for a solution.
- Create a solution that prevents air accidents, thus improving on the solution that the Wright Brothers began. Granted, air travel is still said to be the safest, but we are also faced with the reality that it often claims the highest number of lives in a single accident. That’s a problem there begging for a solution.
- Develop a mechanism for lost items to respond when called by name during a search; imagine the global relief; think of the millions of hours wasted globally searching for lost things. Solve that, and your name will become legendary.
- Invent cars with flight options such that drivers can rise above traffic jams whenever required.
- Engineer a technology that allows a person to live in two rooms or drive two cars simultaneously.
Crazy? Maybe. Impossible? Maybe not. But that’s the beauty of thinking relevance. Relevance is rarely born in the comfort of what everyone else is already doing. It is born at the edges where imagination and courage meet.
Here’s my advice: Stop wasting grace and strength on the ‘illusion of competition or over saturation’. That habit not only drains you. It may also prove that you’re not thinking deeply enough, and before long, you could become prey in the ‘jungle of competition’. Why don’t you rather look around you; think a little deeper, and see things clearer. There is still so much to be done to make life and the world a better place. So many problems yet to be solved, so many solutions waiting to be innovated. There is still so much relevance waiting to be claimed. The world is not short of problems; it is short of bold thinkers who dare to dream.
So, stop trying to win the rat race; the best it makes you is still a rat. Instead, step out of the rat race and create your own lane. Focus on relevance, on solving problems that matter to humanity, stretch your brain and task your heart beyond the ordinary and let your creative juices flow freely.
Building the following traits will be a great advantage on this journey: discipline, commitment, tenacity, consistency, alertness, attentiveness, excellence, collaboration, etc. Until I see you at the table of co-inventors and co-creators, get cracking and focused. It’s usually quieter there.
Caution: If you ever think of yourself as already too old for this grind, then make it a point of duty to share this piece with a younger person and they will be glad. I remain committed to adding value to you. If you would wish to get resources, simply visit my online store by clicking here: https://selar.com/m/BosedeRCA . You should likewise reach out if you would love to book a corporate training session on teamwork attitude optimisation, leadership sustainability, corporate culture creation, exceptional customer service, or personal character development coaching. I will be glad to help you or your team scale.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
