Competition,whether,sports,lif DIY Competition, whether in sports or in life, we all compete, b

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and

Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0cm;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}I am competing right now, I am writing anarticle about competing in order for me to be noticed. We compete nearly all ofthe time; competition is good for us, without it we would not evolve, we couldnot better ourselves, sporting records could not be broken and products wouldnot be enhanced. Competition makes life better; surely it must do, it is ourhuman nature to compete.At work, if we want to get on we need to compete, to put ourselvesforward, get that promotion and move up the ladder, for some it does not matterwho we tread on, dog eats dog and that is the way of the world, right?In business small companies compete, jockeying for position, tryingto get themselves noticed, undercutting where possible to give the best pricefor that new conservatory or landscaping job. Big companies compete as well,they keep a check on their competitors, discuss strategies to win contracts,always trying to go that extra mile and yes, undercutting their prices to winthe contract. That is healthy competition, which is what we want as theconsumer, giving us our value for our money, or is it? What then when theycross the line, an imaginary line, but a very real line where they cannotfulfil the obligation and corners are then cut. Who has caused the competition,who is the greedy party, the consumer or the provider?I recently flew to India. When my wife and I landed we collected ourluggage, eventually negotiated the arrival checks and we were then greeted by ahorde of baggage porters, desperately trying to grab a case and move it a fewyards to a waiting coach or taxi, for many new arrivals to India it was analmost frightening experience with some getting very agitated indeed. India isnot the only place I have witnessed competition for baggage at an airport butit is probably the most desperate, the competition for that pound or dollar inIndia will probably not be to pay for a luxury item, so they must compete wemight not like it but we should understand it.Like many people I have witnessed natural disasters from the comfortof my living room, I have donated to the appeal funds, fortunately I have neverbeen caught in an earthquake, tsunami or typhoon, I’ve never had to experiencefamine or disease first hand, but I do take my hat off to the aid agencies thatselflessly strive in disaster zones to feed and care for all humanity, in someareas it becomes so difficult that survivors compete with each other for thebare essentials to live, we find that competition disturbing to watch, so perhapswe should act quicker and plan more for the future.Competition is never as obviously intense as it is in sport. Sportis about winning is it not? Beating the opposition, coming first, there isnothing wrong with competition in sport, it drives us forward it makes usbetter and we often pay to watch such competition. But again, there is a fineline to be drawn that shouldn’t be crossed, when competition becomes obsessionand we no longer respect our opposition but come to despise them. Suchobsession can lead to violence and cheating. Fortunately most of us play sportto compete and enjoy, uneed2getoutmore, lists sports and activities to showthey do not have to be competitive; they can also be fun and varied.So how competitive will you be today? Will it be a fair price? Willyou be helping the poor? Will you be planning for the future? Will you obsessin your game?Most of us like to think our competition is harmless and most of thetime it is, but let us not cross that line, let us think before we get toocompetitive.