The Rider’s Mind Podcast Episode 32: Your Competition is in the Mirror

The jury is out on whether a competitive personality results from nature or nurture. As horse people, we are often very competitive.  However, that competitive nature can foil our success in the arena. In this episode, I’ll talk about our competitive nature and how we can set the stage for success. 

It’s hard to know whether our competitive traits come from nature or nurture.  There are different perspectives on how we become competitive. Regardless of how it develops, we can beat ourselves by being competitive.  For example, if I’m at the barrel race and I see a barrel racer that won last time and I set my goal to outrun her and beat her, that sets me up to worry about what she’s doing rather than focusing on me and my horse.  

Ultimately, your only competition is in the mirror.  

You only need to worry about what you’re doing, how you’re showing up to be better today than you did yesterday, how you’re growing. That’s all you can control. It might be someone else’s turn to win today, that’s not in your control. 

Use your competitive nature to motivate yourself, to fuel your passion and push yourself.  You do you. You really just need to show up and do the best you can for your horse.

Our ego likes us to believe we are separate.  It likes to rank, measure and differentiate. Our insecurities can make us believe that once you win, you’ll be happy, you’ll be someone, you’ll be respected or people will like you. 

Confidence knows that you’re already far more than what any win could do for you.  

There are 12 universal laws.  The Law of Oneness states that we are all one.  We are all connected. That means that your resentment towards someone else comes back to you.  Your will for someone else to not win is like willing yourself to not win. The opposite is also true.  Clap for someone else and you are clapping for yourself. Celebrate someone else and you celebrate yourself.  

We are all connected.  We are all one.

You’re beating yourself if you’re heading to the arena to beat someone else.  Your competition is in your mirror. Overcome your own limits, your own stories, your own BS if you want to overcome something.  Use your competitive nature to motivate yourself.

You can only control your own actions.  Show up and ride right for your horse. Let the cards fall as they may.  Trying to “make” a win happen will keep it from happening. Allow wins as if you’ve already got one and trust if it’s your turn to win, it will unfold.

Celebrate the wins of others and it will come back to you.  

The energy you send to others is for you too.  See your fellow competitors as an extension of yourself. Celebrate them and you’ll be celebrating yourself. We are one. 

Let’s celebrate and support each other!  

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