Why Competing with Yourself is Better
For a lot of my guests on the UPcoming, they’re aiming for extremely coveted positions. For guests like Yancy Abril or EvelynRoze of episodes 21 and 55 respectively, it’s becoming successful singers and winning Grammys. For people like Jason Armstrong of episode 29, it’s becoming a pro athlete. Wherever you’re working towards, someone wants the same spot as you, so that’s where competition comes in. You’re battling against people with equal or higher work ethics, less or more connections, or perhaps more creativity in their approaches. Regardless, when you’ve taken the top spot, you’ve shown your competition that they can’t beat you. You’ve made it, and that’s a good feeling.
The question: When is it competing with yourself more than competing with yourself?
When I look at Yancy Abril, she sees no need for competition at all, which she’s openly stated. “There’s so much space for us in this industry. There’s no need to be in competition with anybody else.” It’s when she’s on stage, she’s focused on her own performance, how she did in the moment. That showed itself best when she appeared on the Voice Dominicana. Despite singing her heart out, and giving her best performance, she would still be frustrated with herself after the time’s up. Even when her performance is good, she wants to do better. She wants to surpass her previous self every time.
The same thing goes for Jason. Sports is as competitive as it gets. Jason understands the enormous pressure on him and his team to win. The opposite team is gonna bring everything they’ve got, so he has to build teamwork. “I like to start with being positive. You can’t be negative, or dwell on the play… You gotta make sure your team is all on the same page.” When the team is distracted by individual conflicts, everyone fumbles, and the game is already over. There has to be mutual understanding and camaraderie. Moreover, Jason avoids arrogance and tries to maintain good sportsmanship. “Because I know I could’ve did better.” He says.
For EvelynRoze, competition rears its ugly head. Evelyn is already on her way to success and fortune through her music and with her band, the Thornz. In this competitive field of music, people take competition so seriously that they lose sight of themselves and show a nastier side than they even realize. “As someone that’s worked not only as a performer but a manager, I’ve seen the most horrific musicianship ever.” She’s seen artists tear each other apart on social media and even in person, on stage. “What’re you doing?” She exclaims, “We’re all in this field together… It only shows that you feel threatened by them at the end of the day.” Feuds, especially amongst celebrities have been going on, and will go on, forever. It’s when someone brushes past the pettiness and cruelty of negative competition that they can realize their full potential, instead of giving in to the hatred.
Overall, my guests have done pretty well for themselves. Competition is fierce, but when you stay humble and work hard, you can achieve great things, even greater than everyone else.