Competition or cooperation?

Nowadays, from an early age, children are taught to compete. Parents, teachers, and society encourage them to be the best, often comparing them with siblings, classmates, or neighbours. This mindset fosters comparison and the desire to outshine others. Success becomes about pushing others down rather than growing together.

As these children grow, they enter workplaces where competition remains the driving force. Work, once considered worship, is now labelled as stressful. Why? Because, from childhood, we have been conditioned to see others as rivals rather than teammates. The spirit of unity and cooperation is fading, and competition dominates our interactions.

DO YOU RETURN HOME DRAINED?

We start our day as if we are in a race. A race to be better than others, to prove our worth, leading to stress and burnout. We look forward to weekends or vacations, not to explore but to escape from this race. When we step away from competition, we feel peace. It is not the workload but the race that exhausts us.

Our ancestors found joy in celebrating each other’s victories. Today, we see someone else’s success as our loss. This shift has created a toxic work environment filled with comparison, jealousy, and criticism. Instead of cooperation, we focus on superiority, proving others wrong, and personal gain. In this hollow pursuit, kindness, cooperation, and contentment are lost.

ENTER WORKPLACES WITH A GIVING MINDSET

What if we approached work differently? Imagine walking into your workplace with an attitude of cooperation rather than competition. Instead of proving ourselves better, we could uplift each other. This simple shift would transform work from a battlefield into a place of shared success.

During meetings, instead of comparing, what if we wished the speaker well? Encouraging others doesn’t weaken us; it strengthens the whole team. A positive work environment enhances productivity and fulfilment, making the workplace empowering.

SHOWING THE PATH OF COOPERATION

When a room is dark, we don’t fight the darkness — we simply light a lamp. Similarly, the negativity of competition can be removed by fostering compassion and cooperation. Parents, teachers, and leaders must instil this mindset. We must teach our children and colleagues to support one another rather than compete.

Regardless of nationality, race, or belief, we all contribute to the world’s energy — either as a force of division or unity. We don’t always need a global crisis to remind us of the power of unity. Let’s start to train ourselves and others around us to uplift each other. Cooperation brings a sense of fulfilment that no material success can match. By practising cooperation daily, we can transform our home, workplace, and, ultimately, the world into a more harmonious place, as we all are one.

Courtesy: Rajyoga Meditation Centre, Kingston (meditation courses and counselling are offered free of charge). Get in touch via email: bkmeditation.jam@gmail.com or WhatsApp: 876-853-7848. Follow them on Instagram: rajyoga_meditation_jamaica.