Controlled Competitiveness

I have a very competitive spirit. Sometimes I'm able to hide it and sometimes I'm not. Sometimes I'm able to control it and sometimes I'm not.

In particular, my competitive urges peak when I see a competitor making substantial progress. This competitiveness usually stirs up many different emotions - including rage, excitement, fear, jealousy, sadness, and anxiety. Without the right control, most of those emotions can be quite detrimental to my own progress and well being.

So how do I harness these powerful feelings? Usually I am able to convert my zeal into channeled ambition by taking a step back via some sort of grounding moment, through a rational approach that focuses on lessons (facts) instead of distractions (wild emotions), and by gaining perspective through direct communication with my allies. Without this control-process, I would have the fuel but not the vehicle to move forward.