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I take it by the title that competition with others is what is being discussed here. Competition with others take away ones full potential. Competition with yourself on the other hand, sharpens your skills and drives your career to constantly newer heights through your heightened need to improve your performance.

If you compete with yourself on an ongoing basis and ignore the urge to compete with others, the effect is a career that is founded on the best performance you are capable of instead of what "old Joe" is doing. "Old Joe" and his temporary antics will become obscure and in the end you will move out ahead of "old Joe" because you are concentrating on your skills and performance constantly, not worrying about what he is doing.

Competition with others was not the thing that led a poor farm boy like me to strive hard to make it in this cruel world or my three sons who are doing wonderful in their careers. You see, from birth I was prevented from competition of sorts.

I had a foot problem that hindered me from participation in football or basketball in junior high and high school. That, and I was not popular enough to make the first string team when I did try (popularity ruled when I was in school-not ability). God at work? Could be. My three sons really did not participate in those sports either. I never pushed them to participate nor did I ever suggest they didn't.

One of my grandsons also has a foot problem. Home schooled at age 8, he is very good at reading, math, science and social studies. He has no urge or need to compete with others at this stage of his life. I envision him going on to be a highly qualified member of society one day.

Learning hard work, patience, perseverance, and to compete only with ones self led me and my three sons up the ladder of life. I tried with all my might to teach my boys to not be a follower and lead only when asked to. Never stand in anyone else's shoes, so to speak.

Today two of my three son's are going on to get their degree and currently have good paying jobs to boot. The third son is well on his way to becoming a fairly large cattleman. Two of them has moved up to management/supervisory positions at the request of the companies they are employed by-not because they asked to. A very very big difference because the companies see leadership qualities in them, therefore requesting they lead other employees. Not one of my three sons use drugs either (saying a lot now days).

I retired

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