Competition is everywhere in our world and lives. It’s on the field, in the boardroom, in politics, and even in the everyday chaos of merging onto a freeway with little chance that it is going away. We live in a world that constantly measures individuals against others by design. It looks at who’s faster, smarter, richer, or more influential. But here’s the truth: there’s no trophy at the end of life for being better or worse than others. There’s no justice for those who cut corners or refuse to give others the right-of-way. The real victory for my at least lies in being better, not just in skill, but in character than my competition.
Being a Better Individual
Being better than my competition doesn’t mean promoting them or even changing my standings to match theirs. This also does not mean there is a reason to smear or degrade them in any way. It means elevating my beingness, outlook, and sense of humility to be as best that I can. It means playing fair when others may cheat, staying calm when others might be enraged, and choosing integrity when shortcuts tempt me to lower my standards. This isn’t about winning at all costs; it’s about being in a way that our forefathers be proud of, even if no one is watching.
Personal Examples
On the Field
Many years ago, I found myself in the world of competitive little league baseball. It was a stage where even at the ages of ten and eleven, the intensity was palpable. The pressure to perform was immense, and emotions often ran high, with tempers flaring among players who were still children but carried the weight of fierce ambition.
After spending a season in the “minors,” I set my sights on the next challenge: trying out for the “majors.” It was a moment filled with hope and determination for me, as I was younger than most in the majors. When the draft concluded, I was selected by the team that had endured the most difficult previous season, the one with the poorest record. Consequently, they earned the first pick. At that tryout, I had been the standout player, the one they expected to make a difference for their team.
Yet, as the season unfolded, reality set in. I quickly realized that no single player, not even one that they believed had promise, could single-handedly transform a struggling team. More importantly, I began to sense the quiet tension among my older teammates. To them, I was not simply a new addition; I was an intruder and someone who threatened their hard-earned place in the lineup. We were not competing against the opposing teams in that moment; we were competing against each other (especially me) for playing time.
Faced with this truth, I made a choice rooted in respect and humility. Rather than claim a spot that would diminish opportunities for those who had invested the previous year in the league, I stepped down to the minors to finish the season among peers my own age. It was not an easy decision, but it was what I believed to be the honorable one. In doing so, I upheld the spirit of the game not a contest of egos, but as a shared experience built on fairness and camaraderie.
In Business
Business is another arena where competition can get ugly. I’ve had competitors spread rumors, undercut pricing, and even try to poach clients when I was in the mobile electronics industry in the 90’s. It was tempting to fight fire with fire, but learned from Martin Samo that the higher we hold our heads above the competition the more likely we are to succeed. Really, I’ve learned that the best response is excellence (you see Martin is a Raiders fan with their commitment to excellence). We worked to deliver a better product and service that was better than those down the street. We treated the people and our people better. When we did that, we didn’t just win customers, we won their respect. And respect lasts longer than any quick win.
On the Freeway
Even something as simple as merging onto the freeway can reveal character. We’ve all been there: traffic is crawling at a near standstill, and someone speeds up just to block you from merging to ensure they get there first… It’s a time that you could force your way in. You could honk, curse, and make it a fit of road rage. But what does that prove in the long run outside of giving you heartburn? Letting that go by the wayside, literally and figuratively, feels better in the long and short term. Give someone the right-of-way. Smile. It costs nothing, but it says everything about who you are.
Conclusion
Life isn’t a scoreboard. There’s no final whistle where someone hands us a medal for being ruthless or selfish. The real measure of success is how we show up when it’s hard, when it’s tempting to cut corners, when no one would blame us for bending the rules. Being better than our competition means being better than who we were yesterday. It means choosing integrity over ego, kindness over chaos, and excellence over excuses.
So, the next time we’re in the heat of competition whether it’s sports, business, politics, or traffic let’s ask ourselves: What does being better look like right now? Then do that. Because at the end of the day, the only trophy that matters is the life we have lived and the person we became and helped others to be as well.