No Competition

Alternative Titles:
Why Enter a Race?
Why Compete?
A Third Way

Without participating in a race, you cannot win or lose. This meditation suggests if a free-minded individual refuses to compete on societies precepts: happiness, security, and wealth become functional aspects of one’s existence. An open-minded individual understands the rules of life, and after careful considerations, weigh’s up the balance of any situation. And even if the scales of truth are weighted against one’s hopes and inspirations: an open-minded person makes the right and sometimes difficult choice based on reality rather than emotional desire.

Open-minded thinking sometimes causes temporary isolation during transitional periods. Friends and family fail to accept open-minded assessments and the move from illusion to reality. The possibility of losing friends causes resistance from the emotional mind: Remember initial setbacks include: Closure of friendships, relationships, and moving away from established situations. Readers or listeners are reminded of significant changes to one’s relationships are difficult for an emotional mind to accept: and this is why a moving account will resist the idea of becoming none competitive.

From the beginnings of the first comprehensions of life: we are encouraged to be competitive. We see parents, compete with family, friends and neighbours, fathers follow favourite teams and talk of promotion and work and money. Parents offer suggestions of superiority with comparisons. Proving their superiority with comparison to others less fortunate. “look at that heap of junk, look at that terrace house, how can they live like that?” These are the phrases of superiority. An unfortunate child has grandparents who reinforce attainment ideas: talk of the university, good jobs and qualification. The child is being locked into a system.

Furthermore: teachers over-see tests: school classes are competitive with two main factions: either: best and smart and fast OR weak and unintelligent and slow. Inevitably achievers gain attention: failures become punished, ignored or branded as trouble makers. Later in life, there are extremes with the top of the class becoming a successful professional. The bottom of the class becomes a successful criminal. The majority watch and understand nothing other than conformity.

Injustice seeps into the system: Adoration for attainers’ and dislike of the failures: The tragedy is we are rarely guided to reference personality or character. How many times have you listened to a cruel comment: Something like “He’s a hard worker, but he’s just plain stupid”? How do we explain this cruelty? Consider the character Forest Gump to discover the seed of an answer. Do you know why the film is so popular? It is because millions of people can relate to Forest’s character. They know they have more to give; however, their belief is they have no purpose. Consider the message that Forest does not have a purpose: episodes of his life are flowing and without a defined purpose. Chance meetings dictate his fortune. Truth is Forest’s prosperity is down to chance and luck of empathetic connection to reality. He has no fear because his mind only knows how to run! This is his initial life lesson: His mind knows it must keep running and moving on and is life like a box of chocolates? No more than it is a bowl of cherries. Life is harsh, unfair and without compromise.

The free mind asks why people adore the arrogant success story and ignore a kind and caring non-achiever. Who would you prefer as a friend and associate? I know my preference never waivers: A kind, caring, transparent and honest person wins my heart every time. My friends range from compassionate wealth: too will ‘o the wisp spirituals. Only one gauge matters, the question: “Do I enjoy my friend’s company?” Incidentally, I’m thankful for their patience and graciousness, and these are two character assets needed to put up with my strange attitudes and thoughts.

I do not believe who we associate with restricts our lives: Many sages suggest we become our associates’ same mindset. Not if we follow the third way: you see the third-way guides one not to judge or compete. Therefore if there is no competition to gain or attain friends, it becomes easy to separate oneself from those who cause hurt, pain or unhappiness.

For most, life’s potentials and promise become set in the mould of conformity toward the end of teenage rebellion. As the renegade disappears in shadows of hopelessness: Social protocols and society’s master plan takes over. Poor relationships, children, marriage, divorce, joy, happiness, failures, houses, apartments, jobs, cars, debts, loans, anguish, sorrow, occasional celebrations are expected and accepted. The cycle begins again when children grow up and follow the plan taught by parents and teachers. Millions are caught in this net of perceived normality.

Every race is won when it is run alone. Having no interest in the successful, the failures or middle-grounders frees the inner being from all competition levels. The winners, losers and the indifferent minds all have their level. And most of them unknowingly choose to be in their place. The free-mind see’s people enter daily races even though they’ll lose or not finish. Races of ambition, wealth, possession, academic attainment are never won outright. Jack will have more money than Jill. Branson will have more money than your neighbour who lives in the mansion. Einstein has more genius than university lecturer. There are few outright winners and of what importance is another human’s victory to you? Admiration for another man’s endeavour acknowledges competition and winning. The fact he has the accolade should be the end of any interest. Closed minds follow the idea that winning and attainment demonstrates success. An open mind sees beyond this idea setting its standards, ethics and ethos.

Before one can follow the third way, there is a need to understand the truth of entering the race. Attempting to see the reality means being brave enough to see entering the competition is an illusion of dreams and hope and false promise. Those who enter the race become fit to become a winner. And the fitness is harnessed by those who organise the race. When ten men strive to become the top salesman, the company wins from everyone who has entered. Even the salesman who makes the least sales has contributed to the companies profits. The race is designed to benefit the organisation, society or government, not those who compete.

We can win every race if we compete with personal standards. Setting personal standards is easy to think about and difficult to establish: Today, you choose to save your wages and begin to pay off your bills and tomorrow you see the item of illusion you must have! A simple phrase helps the mind be free: To be free, every debt should be satisfied. Many will find the idea almost impossible to comprehend. Allow me to cast a spell of wellbeing: being without obligation will make you happier than any other state of mind. In other words: To be free, every debt should be satisfied.

To be within debt is means you have nothing: There is no need to have any more than needed. How much do you need? Use this formula: add up your monthly outgoings: rent or mortgage, utility bills, car and travel and food. Add twenty per cent to the figure. This is your actual financial need. If you save everything earned above this figure you will be rich. Use the savings to pay off the mortgage early. Then you will be wealthy.

Setting the mindset sets the desire, set this objective: choose only to enter a race you can win. To be free, think of the freedom of being without debt. Consider the idea for hours; write about the feeling of freedom. All one needs to do is divert excess into the money you owe. Do you say you have no savings? There will be no excess where there is waste. Fast food, bottled water, excess of pleasures all lures to debt. Two bottles on Friday, three on Saturday and the takeaway meal total the costs. Understand the waste, and you’ll discover the ways to become debt-free.

In time, following the third way becomes empowering. The free mind needs no-one, its power and best friend is security. Nothing comes close to the freedom. Money accumulates, and soon the home becomes one’s own. Without debt, there is freedom.

And while I talk about money, remember two aspects of capital:

You are money. You earn it with your life hours. You convert your work into tokens used to buy your home, warmth, water, food, and clothes. You are money: And secondly: when you spend cash, thank it for its ability to turn life hours into security. The more you respect your money, the higher your ability to see how to use its power and see it grow. When you appreciate the money, you recognise your life hours.

Here is a harsh and challenging consideration: People who do not earn their money have no respect for themselves or life. They borrow and enter into debt because they are selfish. They want everything and do not like to exchange their life hours for the thing they wish to own. When you borrow money for pleasures, you are selfish and impatient. And there is no respect for the purchase. When there is no need for excess, borrowing or debt one becomes free because, by default, one accumulates savings and security. Never waste money earned with your life-hours: remember you are money: every penny wasted is a waste of your life hours.

Here is an example:

My nine-year-old MacBook, eight-year-old interface and twenty-year-old microphone are used to make this recording. This equipment is my conduit of wealth, the microphone, interface and Mac allow me to sell my thoughts. And life is good because many minds have an interest in my thoughts. I mention this to suggest we do not need the newest or the best to achieve reasonable goals. The thinking mind learns how to use every possession to best advantage. An important consideration is the thinking mind, understands how to see the truth of all situations realistically.

The Third Way is a paradox:

It seems to be to do, but it hard to keep on track. So before considering the possibilities of the third way. A thinking mind should train itself to be intellectually biased. Emotional considerations have already enjoyed free rein and caused havoc on many occasions: A moving account is supported by illusion and desire: A thinking mind understands the wisdom of reality and active communication. The emotional mind resists being set aside and will play all manner of psychological tricks to reign supreme. The thinking mind asks one question “Are these thoughts needs, illusions, possibilities? If the answer is yes: the dream is emotional.

Do not worry:

Remember worry is manifest from the emotional mind. The intellectual mind looks and listens for clarity, honesty, integrity and ethos. 

The Third Way changes life: and dissolves the past. Learning about the third way takes time: to help you with Third Way’s idea, think of yourself as a gardener of the mind. See your view as a ground which needs clearing. Brambles and weeds of issues, hurt, and poor memories require burning and uprooting. Think in this way: Soon, the garden will be ready to plant seeds of great thoughts and trees of strength. You can grow a garden of will which cannot be affected by the winds of change or storms of despair. In time the garden will become a forest of security, and the paths of the third way will lead to the centre of intellect.

The intellectual mind understands sure pearls of wisdom:

It is impossible to repay debts owed to people you have hurt. You cannot make amends to those you have betrayed: face the reality people never forget, and trust is not a fallen wall which can be rebuilt. No way you can change the truth of the darkest moments.

Does the intellectual mind consider the meaning of acceptance? One has to think and understand aspects of why acceptance is key to a golden gate of freedom. For examples: can you accept you are often wrong, assume you will not always be liked, accept failure, loss, and the fact life is not fair? Most important, can you recognise you are responsible for your life.

No one needs a know-all, guru, life-expert all tell a different tales: one of unconditional love and forgiveness. And yet in our societies: Murderers are electrocuted, social media groups demonstrate hatred, people take revenge. Where is the marker between acceptable or not? Consider the idea of a clean sheet: bankrupt your failures, mistakes and wrong-doings. Say today “that was yesterday. Those lost to my life are gone, will not return, and they are better without my presence. Today is new: I’ll work hard to live and be happy and be thankful for those who are part of, and contribute to my life.

All one needs is standard. What is the standard? It a way of living which meets a predetermined agreement with oneself—known as a standard of how to live. What could more natural than a: warm home, happy relationship, content family. And this standard is not the easiest to attain, and yet, it is all one needs. Why would the standard be challenging to achieve or maintain? Because it is simple and does not require competition or attainment. An emotional mind finds this aspect impossible to accept.

When a situation or objective or anything is simple: many cannot believe it to be true. Too good to be real: too simple to be true: so good it is hard to believe: Few accept that something easy to attain has worth. And this is why many people are unhappy: they are seeking pipe dreams, illusions, the need to win the race, instead of meeting an easy to attain the standard.

Once one understands and sets the standard, the battle of life becomes easy. Battle of life? Yes! Think of yourself as the standard-bearer who marches ahead of the soldier’s on a battlefield. But consider the image differently. Know that your standard protects you from the opposition, the enemy whose sole desire is to take from you and help you into a life of hard work for no reward. The net of debt is the enemies most effective ordinance. The enemy does not desire to take your life: their objective is to enslave you, to their will.

When one lives free and outside the chase: there is no need for excess: nothing more than basic qualifications will earn a living. A driving licence, simple vocational levels of education, and a determination to work and live within one’s means will provide an adequate lifestyle. And all the better if the effort is shared with another. There is no need to become involved with outside influence. By living solo one wins the race. Set a standard, attempt to meet or exceed the standard during every moment of life, and the competition is won.

These ideas are the third way:

And the direction of least resistance: the practice of non-competition: the power of acceptance—the course of the free mind. I accept the idea raises many questions and will be considered as selfish. I have no interest in critics: they are welcome to their opinion. I do not write to make friends. My words are cathartic exercises and reflect my mindset. Lifeworks for me: there is no debt and money flows into my life. Cash and in the pocket and the card in my wallet are an extension of my ‘being’ they are energy which lightens and lights the path of life.

Once I lived a life of deception and illusion, and I was poor. Now my existence is ethical and real, and I am wealth. Am I happy? Of course, I’m surrounded by friends and business associates. I respect them and enjoy seeing them prosper and find happiness, love and security. Life is good. My mind is free.

See You One Day.