The Competition Myth

I talked about this a little in my discussion about Grit and Imposter Syndrome, but wanted to take another angle because letting go of that feeling of competition is really when I started to see improvement in myself, my work and my business.

So we live in a competitive world, how do we remove the negative side of competition? and taking it a step further, how do we remove feeling inadequate or unworthy because of the feelings competition can bring?

I think the key here is remembering that we all have a place and a purpose. And when it comes to music, it’s not that one song or artist is better than the other, because really music is subjective. We all like different artists, writers, producers etc. it's not really a competition, it’s more of a preference for the listeners at that moment. Instead of worrying about not getting playlisted, or hired, that meeting and everything else, we keep reaching for the things and people we are meant to reach. We have to keep moving forward staying focused on what God is specifically calling us each to do. I feel also many times when we become competitive we start to fight for things we maybe aren’t meant for. The negative side of competition can also lead us to losing friendships, relationships and business success.

Going back to the conversation I had. I’m not sure I don’t believe in competition, but maybe that competition has a healthy role to fuel us ALL to be better. When we are all better, the industry is better, and God’s kingdom gets bigger. Think about a race. If you’re running a race by yourself you might not run very fast or try as hard, but if everyone starts running that race together, everyone starts to get faster and stronger. What’s important here however, is it’s not about who makes it to the finish line first. It’s about racing along side each other and rejoicing in the wins and supporting each other in the losses. When you let go of the negative aspects of competition, and use it to fuel you, not discourage you, I believe that is truly where the shift comes and everything starts to grow. Remembering that we are all doing this for Him and not for ourselves puts everything back into perspective.

and last thing I wanted to mention is when you start to feel inadequate, remind yourself to pray. One thing we can often overlook is the power of prayer in our lives. God rewards our spirit of love and kindness, and not to sound preachy, but He does not like jealousy, envy and bitterness. Honestly, those are from the enemy to stop us from doing God‘s will in our lives. And think of all the energy that steals from our life, and how much attention it takes away from what we should be doing.

So my encouragement to all of us as we venture into this music industry is let go of that negative feeling of competition. Instead keep moving forward, staying prayerful and focused on our lane in the race. Rejoicing in our successes, and just as important, the successes of those around us. That’s when we will start to see a shift and the goodness that comes from it.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this idea of competition and how it's played a role in your music journey in the comments below!