There's something primal and extremely inherent in
each of us, something we all share as human beings: It
is that seed of competition, that basic need to make
better use of ourselves; to do better, faster -- it's
our very sense of self-preservation that urges us to
go farther, try harder, and just keep going no matter
what.

This nature is very profound in athletes but we all
have it to some degree. We are naturally competitive
and sometimes even with ourselves.

The competition of sport, for example, has been around
for as long as mankind. Even if we are not active par-
tipants or claim to "dislike sports," we are still, in
some way, pulling for one particular team or person; we
want to WIN!

We also want to be the strongest, the fastest, and the
fittest, and if we ourselves can't be, we want to be
there to cheer on the ones who are. This is why you
will see normally sober, temperate, quiet people lose
all emotional control when they are watching stock car
racing, for example. They just can't help it. There's
something about even the meekest and weakest of us
who happily applaud the crowning success of those who
can run, cycle, kayak, ski, row, swim, or guide
horses faster than we can.

It is all psychological really. It gives us a good
feeling inside. It's like "virtual racing" or "virtual
challenge."

We are addicted to this feeling of wanting to be the
winner in the various "races" of life. We are not
exactly concerned as to why we feel this way but we do
nonetheless. We just want to be the fastest.

Everyone loves a winner and when we are winners we feel
much better internally. We can be spectators to a race
and have no contribution to helping our favorite
participant win but we are happy to cheer them on.
Cheering them makes us feel that we are part of the
same team.

Winning races has a lot to do with channeling and
directing feelings of anxiety into positive energy.
This direction is started even before the race begins.
This positive energy will have an impact on the
competitive part of our brains.

We need the anxiety in order to maintain a racing
state of mind. If we did not have anxiety then we would
find it hard to get motivated to win. It would not be
"exciting" enough for us.

The person in the stands watching also helps to
increase the energy level in the racing environment.
Without the energy level or charisma, there would be no
purpose to watching the race and we certainly would be
apathetic to who will win or lose. It's all in the
preparation and the competition. We describe it with
phrases like "getting into the zone," "going with the
flow" and keeping up momentum. We always want to be
mobilized, ready, have a vision of our victory to come.

We all must have goals in order to accomplish anything
in life. We need set them, practice them, and strive to
reach them on a consistent basis.

The game's thrill maybe is more important to us than
even winning. We are thrilled at the horse races when
we see these strong horses speed around a track
skillfully guided by the jockeys. And, we are always
pulling for others because down inside we want to see
them be winners.

And it's not just racing. More than likely the swimming
teams, track star fans, and downhill skiing racers
would totally understand competition too.

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