Competition actually isn't bad in itself and often it can be of benefit in the practice. That sounds a little odd to some people. What do I mean when I say competition isn't bad and can be of benefit in the practice? Competing with ourselves. That's how we want to do this practice. Competing with others doesn't make any sense.
Look outside the windows. You see different trees, a Mango tree, a Cashew tree, and a Coconut tree. Should they compete with each other? How are they going to compete with each other? Who is the tallest? The Coconut tree goes, "Ah! I am! I am the tallest!" The Cashew tree can say, "I have the most unique fruits in the world. My seeds grow outside myself". If you ever see a cashew tree, it is very weird. The Mango tree can go, "Yes, but I have the most delicious fruit!" It doesn't make any sense, does it? It really doesn't! And this is what we have to understand when we find ourselves competing with other people. Some people are a little more gifted in some areas than we are, and we are a little more gifted than some other people in some other areas. But hold back on the thought that I am better than them, because today you might be better than them in some quality. Yet in five years from now, they might be way better than you in exactly the same quality. If you get a big head about how good you are today, that will definitely slow you down. But if you're competing with yourself, and if you take a look at your own level, say, your level of compassion, and you think to yourself, "Well, it's better than it was before I was a meditator. Good! But I think I can still do a lot more, I kind of hate that guy over there." When you take a look at yourself, and you see your levels of compassion in yourself, and you go, "Okay, I can do better"; then you start competing with yourself. Trying to become better. That's great. That's a great way to compete.
Now at work: with all the different jobs that you are doing, can you actually do your job even better than what you are doing now? Not in order to be someone, but just so that you feel content, to feel that you are a good worker. How many mistakes do you make? In any job, people make mistakes. Can you make less mistakes? How many times do you get angry at your partners, at your boss, at your workmates or at the clients as they come in the door and demand so much from you? How many times do you get upset, angry at other people? Can you take that on as a type of competition? Can you do better at work and not get so upset anymore? Can you be more mindful of your speech, for example, gossip, and the other little things that often get you into trouble? Can you compete in that way in order to actually become a better person, not to be someone, but to actually become a better human being. So those are some areas where you can deal more wisely with competition in your work life.