Competition is a Dirty Word...

I was talking to someone this morning about our natural tendancy to compare ourselves with other people. Competition or feeling like someone elses success will somehow take away from our own, is taught to us from an early age I believe. Far before we really have a understanding of why it exists we are bombarded with the idea of competing, of beating someone else. Having a trophy, at any cost, is the all consumming goal for some people......that trophy can be anything from a person to a statue displayed on the shelf.

You know, I have never won a trophy. I played sports most of my growing up time and always won ribbons but never seemed to play the sport that gave the trophy. And all the sports I played were team sports anyway.

What I am actually saying though is that I still have my own personal struggle with comparing myself to others. Particularly other musicians. I try to stop myself when I go down that path but it doesn't always work.....especially at various times during the month (ahhm).

One of the greatest gifts another musician gave me came from the lips of Australian slide guitarist Jeff Lang. Jeff is an awesome guitarist and just a good guy. I played a set after him at the Folk Alliance conference in Nashville a few years ago, right when I was starting to play solo. He did an AMAZING set...his fingers were fast, his guitar sounded beautiful, he left the audience with their mouths open. I sat side stage and shit myself. As Jeff walked off stage and we touched shoulders, I looked at him and said 'thanks mate'. He stopped me dead in my tracks, looked me fair square in the eye and said....'mate....this isn't a footy game. Just go, be who you are.'

That moment of truth has helped me sooooooooooooooo much over the last few years. Whenever I have moments of fear that usually comes out in the form of feeling that I am not good enough, I talk myself down from the edge by reminding myself that this isn't a footy game. That I am not competing with anyone...that my only role on this earth, is to be who I am. That there is NO ONE else like me here. That there is NO ONE else who sings like me, plays guitar like me, thinks like me, writes songs like me or plays the silly bugger like me.

My only goal is to do what this card says......that's it.

I think the true purpose in life, is to be who we are. No games. No lies. No deceit. No need for competition. No masks. Us...naked and true. With a profound understanding of the beauty, grace and reverence that we can present to people when we are being our true selves.

And when we do that...when we honor ourselves by being who we are, in all our glory....well, what a gift we give to the world.

xxm