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Spiraling Upwards Together The word competition comes from the Latin root words com - “together” and petere - to “seek” or “to fly”. How often in our everyday lives do we think of competition as “flying together” or “seeking something together”? The Olympics aside, when I think of the word “competition,” I feel a certain level of anxiety. So much of modern-day culture is about being the best and, even more stressful, getting there (wherever that may be) on your own. I remember taking Sharon Gannon’s (the co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga) class many years ago, and, as a fledgling teacher, feeling deflated afterwards. She asked me what was wrong? I said that I felt I would never be able to teach like her and be able to give someone the experience she had just given me. She looked at me, smiled and said: “Of course you won’t be able to teach like me, you’ll teach like you!” I had not yet understood how to let myself be truly inspired. Rick Rubin, in his wonderful book, The Creative Act, has a chapter on competition. He shares a story of Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, listening to The Beatles’ album Rubber Soul and being so blown away and inspired that he sat down and wrote the song “God Only Knows.” When Paul McCartney heard the resulting Beach Boys album, Pet Sounds, he was so moved and brought to tears that he proclaimed “God Only Knows” was the best song ever written! The Beatles played Pet Sounds over and over while creating Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The cover of the album features all the people who inspired them, including Bob Dylan, Sri Paramahansa Yogananda and Aldous Huxley. Imagine a limitless upward spiral, where everyone is taking flight. I hope 2025 will be a limitless upward spiral for all of us. And there is so much inspiration coming our way in January and beyond!
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