On Competitiveness:
"We helped each other.
We never, ever tried to compete.
I think in movies,
you need 100% concentration
on what you're doing.
If you start to compete,
you've lost 50% of your concentration,
because 50% of it is watching the other guy."
-- Michael Caine
This fascinating quote came from a short documentary I watched last night, and the part that stood out for me was the 50% part. By competing, he says, we immediately lose 50% of our concentration because we have to pay attention to what the others are doing so that we can know where we are relative to them. Now, whether we agree that it is as much as 50%, no matter the number, we cannot concentrate 100% on our own work, or path. We have to give up something to pay attention to our so-called competitors.
I think that to do the best that we can with what we have to work with on the path we have chosen, doing what we enjoy doing is all that is necessary. Who gets the awards and accolades is immaterial to the doing. Who is making more or less money, making more or fewer sales, using more or less creativity is also insignificant. They have nothing to do with what we can and will do.
Unless We Choose To Pay Attention To Them And Forsake Our Own Satisfaction Of A Job Well Done.
Spread Some Joy Today--Even though the world around me wants me to compete for joy, I know that I have a bottomless well of joy within me at my beck and call.
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