I agree with Pauline, Verne,and Rebecca.

When Wally says to be creative not competitive, he means have an attitude of joy and abundance and that no one has to lose in order for you to win.
But, sometimes we play at competing because it's fun -- like Pauline's swimming club, or the game of cards I played with my kids last night. When you "compete" with a non-competitive attitude you can enjoy the game whether you win or lose.

I also love the idea of the right "fit." That's why we listen so carefully to our emotions in SOGR, because our feelings tell us when we are fitting with our true purpose in life. When you are following your true path, everything becomes fun and easy and you find that others who think they are competing against you become irrelevant. Just as the other brands who try to compete with Apple have no real effect on Apple. As Teruchan said, they just keep doing their own thing and astonishing us over and over again. Then everyone else runs to catch up.

I just bought the new iPhone 4. I love it. It's pretty amazing how EVERYONE who doesn't have one quotes that Yahoo article that says some people are having a little trouble with reception (if the they hold the device just so.) REALLY? This thing replaces an entire room full of books, games and tools, fits in my pocket and does everything but dry my hair and neuter my pets. It's got more computing power than the space shuttle. But people love to snipe at it because .... well who knows why. It's quite funny, though, that every single person that I've shown it to has asked about the reception. (I have had no problem with reception, by the way, no matter how I hold the phone.) I've taken to telling people that the criticism has been greatly exaggerated by people who are jealous. (Before you ask, Rebecca: no I have no idea what their true motives are. I just say the line to be funny. )

Anyway, the point is (I think) that just because others think they are competing against you doesn't mean you have to compete against them.

Also, I'm really excited about my new phone and enjoy showing it off.

Love and blessings (and iPhone's) to all!

Rachel

quote:

It makes me crazy how all the reality shows on TV have the premise that there must be a "winner" ... Creeps me out.

Easy solution!

Just stop watching them, reading about them, giving them all this attention. Putting focus, faith, and feeling on anything that creeps you out and causes you to feel all judgmental can only bring you more experiences like that.

You get to choose where you put your attention. It just takes some practice. And willingness to tend to your own wellbeing.

quote:

This thing replaces an entire room full of books, games and tools, fits in my pocket and does everything but dry my hair and neuter my pets.

That sounds like something to be grateful for. Otherwise you'd have to be REAL careful when drying your hair.

Just saying ...

quote:

Anyway, the point is (I think) that just because others think they are competing against you doesn't mean you have to compete against them.

Exactly! What they think is actually none of your business. (And I mean that business both literally and figuratively.)

"90% of success is showing up".
Most recently, I think, attributed to Woody Allen.

20 years ago I was employed by a company as a service technician. I loved the work, that is, I enjoyed meeting people with specific issues involving the products we sold and dealt with those issues and resolved them.

I was very surprised one day when I was presented with a certificate that said I was #1 in the nation in "productivity and customer service".

It was totally unexpected because I had no idea there was any kind of competition going on.

All I did was show up and do a job which I "in-joyed".

As I am rather self deprecating, I really saw it more as an indication of how the other technicians were not enjoying the interactions and relationships and missing out on that wonderful opportunity.

That certificate is in a box up in the attic somewhere along with some other stuff that, in its own way, was nice, but will never be seen hanging on my office wall.

quote:

I am rather self deprecating

Why?

You're marvelous! And amazing! Bask in that and let go of that self-deprecating stuff. That's NOT the kind of experience any of us want to have, so why create more of it!

quote:

Originally posted by Rebecca:

quote:

This thing replaces an entire room full of books, games and tools, fits in my pocket and does everything but dry my hair and neuter my pets.

That sounds like something to be grateful for. Otherwise you'd have to be REAL careful when drying your hair.

Just saying ...

I giggled out loud at that one. In fact, I think I'll borrow it -- my kids will laugh, too.

Love and blessings,
Rachel

Rebecca, you present a conundrum of differentiation of experience. In my case, I chose and continue to choose my own.
Basking in "marvelous and amazing" is clearly a choice but at the same time a result.
I rather love myself and my/your/everyones source of being and I find it sufficient within itself.
My story of that "award" stands as an example of that.
Self deprecation is a facet of my personality and "resonance" that, so far, I'm not at odds with. If and when it starts to feel "that way" I may choose a resonance that doesn't inlude it.

It came to me while I was out driving. Isn't "competition" yet another manifestation of the divine? Seemingly less than ideal for those of us who, through contrast, choose a path of deliberate creation.
Does not our experience reveal that contrast?
I've come to regard the more "vexacious" folks I know, as a gift of spirit who's purpose is to help me see and appreciate that contrast.

quote:

Originally posted by Rebecca:

quote:

This thing replaces an entire room full of books, games and tools, fits in my pocket and does everything but dry my hair and neuter my pets.

That sounds like something to be grateful for. Otherwise you'd have to be REAL careful when drying your hair.

Just saying ...

Oh my gosh Rebecca! Hysterical. I'll be giggling for days every time I dry my hair. Thanks for the laugh.

quote:

Isn't "competition" yet another manifestation of the divine? Seemingly less than ideal for those of us who, through contrast, choose a path of deliberate creation.
Does not our experience reveal that contrast?
I've come to regard the more "vexacious" folks I know, as a gift of spirit who's purpose is to help me see and appreciate that contrast.

I'm not following. What does this have to do with competition?

Maybe by reading the post again, it will either "resonate" with you or it won't. Then perhaps it will have value in contrast.
Who knows? And I can't think of a different way to express myself to illuminate what I said.

I think I understand what Blind Squirrel is saying. If he will allow me to put it another way:

Contrast is the way we discern and appreciate things. Just as there would be no experience or appreciation of light without the experience of darkness. Perhaps it is appropriate to appreciate the darkness as well, since it contributes to our experience of light.

He says that vexacious folks have value as a contrast to people we appreciate, showing us more clearly what we appreciate about people we like.

I think that he is applying the same idea to competition vs creation. We may appreciate creation more because we practice the SOGR, but competition may also have value as a contrast to creation, showing us more clearly how valuable creation is.

It probably doesn't matter at all, but I thought I'd take a stab at understanding what Blind Squirrel was saying. Am I close?

Love and blessings,
Rachel

OK, Rachel,let's look at this, you said:

We may appreciate creation "more because we practice SOGR".

Appreciating creation is not exclusive to the practice of SOGR, but it is an essential feature.

Then you said:

Competition may have a value as a contrast to creation, showing us more clearly how valuable creation is.

I am suggesting here that competition has its own inherant "value" as it is an equal and opposite manifestation of the divine. Competition most certainly has a "value" to whoever chooses it. The question might be, is one more valuable than the other?

Speaking entirely from my own experience and perception, "creation", and, the states of mind that evolve from learning how to dwell in a state of deliberate creation certainly "appears" to be the "superior" choice, and it works. And, I "choose" not to concern myself with or worry about what anybody else is doing. All I know for sure is it works for me.

This sets up a debate where "judgements" will be argued ad infinitum.

And then you said:

It probably doesn't matter at all,but I thought I'd take a "stab" at understanding what Blind Squirrel was saying. Am I close?

Your post is a "parallel" to what is the framework of my thinking and, of course, it absolutely doesn't matter at all.

Or, if it does, only within the framework of your experience and perception.

And I'll also make reference to what Rebecca said regarding my "self deprecation".

What difference, outside of my experience and perception, could that possibly make? It sounds judgemental when you say, "let go of that self deprecation stuff, that's NOT the kind of experience any of "us" want to have, so why create more of it"?

How could you possibly "know" that? I'm sure you have a clear sense of your own choices but how could you know what "Source" or "Intention" has brought us into existence to experience?

I'm pretty sure that the very nature of the process of deliberate creation brings to bear the understanding and acceptance that, that for which we were brought forth from the invisible realm, that is to say, every thought, word, deed, and experience we are destined to have, is congruant to what makes deliberate creation possible.

Bind Squirrel,

All of these ideas are very interesting from a philosophical point of view. Of course, from a broad perspective it doesn't matter at all. Clearly, everyone else gave up on it. I just like philosophy; and as a teacher, I like to try to understand what people are thinking.

I believe the judgments and advice offered by Rebecca and others are given within the context of this forum. The focus of the Science of Getting Rich and of this forum is to attract riches to ourselves through this science. The purpose of the forum is to offer support and guidance to those with that goal.

Of course, from a broad perspective, none of us need to judge or criticize anyone else's goals or ideas. Still, if you are posting on this forum, we assume that using the SOGR is the reason you are here. The responses you are going to get will be framed within that context.

You may have moved beyond the need for the SOGR, and therefor have no interest in the advice available here. If so, that's wonderful! I hope to join you someday.

Love and blessings,
Rachel

Moved beyond the need? Have no interest?

Hope to join me someday?

And so you choose to condescend?

Please relay to whoever runs things here my request to have my posts removed and my membership deleted

Thank you

After contemplating the direction this has taken, it is revealed that my ego has exerted itself. Another way of saying I've made an ass of myself and I sincerely apologize.
If I feel the need to post in the future, I will do so in the context of SOGR.

Thank you

That's cool, Squirrel. Welcome back. I was kind of wondering what was going on because I didn't see any condescension in Rachel's reply to you.

Also, to clarify my comment about you saying you are "self-deprecating," I was referring to the definition of the word "deprecate" -- to disapprove, depreciate, belittle, condemn, or disparage.

Most of us (and Rachel is correct: When I say "us," I am talking about the people who have decided to take on the SOGR "certain way of thinking and acting") have had enough of that kind of belittling stuff throughout our lives -- either from others or from our own self-talk. That's why we show up here, actually; because we're ready to change that.

And since our thoughts are creating our reality, it really doesn't pay to disapprove, depreciate, belittle, condemn, or disparage ourselves. Instead, a new era of TRULY appreciating and loving ourselves and knowing our own worthiness is the key to pretty much everything we're about here.

It's a pretty nice place, actually.

To me, being competitive means 1. I'm not okay with myself, I need validation from what I'm able to achieve and 2. There's not enough to go around.

Both mindsets could make manifesting a real difficult task.

1. If you aren't okay just as you are, then an accompanying thought might be that you are unworthy to manifest whatever you want.

2. If there isn't enough to go around, if supply is limited, it would be selfish to ask for too much.

Therefore, to not be competitive eliminates both limiting mindsets and opens the door to possibilities.

I'm okay you're okay.... we're here to play. If you'll share your clay, lets see what we can create together.

Diane

quote:

Originally posted by Kevsky:
the assumption that "more is better"

I would like to respectfully say that one thing I like about the SOGR is that it doesn't talk about "less money is more". Quote "In this book, I shall not speak of riches in a figurative way; to be really rich does not mean to be satisfied or contented with a little."
I am in an situation (that is improving) where the thinking of "I don't really need money" has gotten me into. To be frank it honestly pisses me off when I hear people say "you don't need more money". When you are living just one step above being homeless that isn't a very encouraging thing to hear. Yes I do need more money and that is why I am reading this book. I don't need encouragement to suppress my desire for money, that is what's keeping me down.
Perhaps this isn't what you or the author mean to do but for me reading too many books and listening to too many people talk about that philosophy has not worked. My experience has taught me that too much of that will keep you in poverty.