Silent Competitors...

Recently, I've been discerning the character of certain people around me, and have been posting on FB about having Silent Competitors.. or haters is what people tend to refer to them as (they tend to be more vocal in their hatred)... but I choose to label them as competitors albeit silent. 


The reason I consider them as silent competitors because there are people in this world, even in your inner circle that tend to compete with you.. you haven't noticed it, but they're there. You may have even had a thought about it, but you never gave any thought beyond what you've noticed. I'm going to give you some examples of people that might be secretly competing with you. They cannot make it noticeable because if they do than that would somehow let their secret out the bag, see these people are insecure in who they are, so while they love the person that you are, BUT they honestly have ill feelings for you at the same time. That's envy, jealousy and strife.


1. They will will make themselves a part of your circle w/out you even knowing.. they're just there.
2. They copy you (plain and simple).
3. They want to know where you shop or everything about you and what you do.
4. If you compliment them on something, they say thank you, and then they try to act like it isn't a big deal. Secretly, they are saying to themselves, yeah I know... LOL
5. If you like something about what they have or do, they will not share i.e., shoes, clothes, etc. they don't want you to go out and get it.. 
6. They honestly try to put themselves in situations where they are equal to you, but then try to out-do you in it. 
7. They constantly comment on something you say as if you don't know what you're talking about. 
8. They copy you.. LOL.. I had to add that again, because it's so true.. pay close attention. 
9. They only do things because you do them, like change up things in their lifestyle because you have decided to do that same.. i.e., eat better, work out.


Now, that is just some of the things that I have noticed... and I asked a close friend about it, because I thought maybe I was tripping... and I try to always check myself first when I'm discerning a certain situation to make sure I'm not being judgmental or whatever... but he enlightened me to what this could possibly be, he said, I'm pretty sure you're not tripping and this does happen because you're a pretty influential person... I said, really, he said.. sure you are.. and that really brought some reality to my situation. I was really annoyed by this at first, I kind of felt like.. "can I be my own person, without someone copying me?" 


So, I've really had a change of heart.. I've taken his advice and actually said.. okay.. if I'm influential and people are going to follow, copy, or even compete with me. I decided that I'm going to be the best me I know how to be and therefore, bring about positive results in the life of someone. 


In retrospect, people could secretly be competing with you or it could be that you're just an influential person and they are following you because of that... I say regardless of the reason.. accept it and be glad. Do what you do because it is who you are, not because you're trying to be better than the next man or woman.. if you have to compete, compete with the person that you were yesterday, in order to be a better person tomorrow.


If we are in fact influential, than what you do will not matter because there will be someone that follows what you do and as long as you're living a positive life... than you won't lead them to destruction.  


To you, I say.. Kudos!!! Continue doing what you're doing.. because obviously, you're doing something right!!!


On April 3, 2012, I posted the following as my FB status: "When you're influential (positively speaking), people will believe what you say, copy what you do, or silently compete to make sure they are doing IT better...IMO - don't stop being influential, especially positively, [you can't help a negative person's response to a positive situation (hence the competition)] but... you just might change someone's life... that's what I aim for... helping not hindering.. so... copy and paste..."


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