If in God’s house there are many mansions [plural], then that means there is space for all of us to win…right?
Many know I live by four core mantras, the first being “Community Over Competition.” I find myself repeating it nearly every day, especially in moments when I feel insecure, pressured to beat others, or jealous of what they have accomplished. God gave me this assurance to get over competition and start building community as I was transitioning into full-time entrepreneurship one year ago.
To bring you into how this experience felt, I share this truth: I had no idea what I was doing!!
Sometimes I was moving to Atlanta to be a writer. Sometimes I was moving to Orlando to expand my speaking platform. Sometimes I was staying in Tallahassee to grow my wellness company. It changed day-by-day, moment-by-moment. And all I was completely sure of was that God told me to leap! While I was often second-guessing what I heard and always scared that I would fail, I had to start relying on some principles that were more stable than I could be at the time, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).
As a child, when Mom made me recite those words, they were just that: words. But I realize now as an entrepreneur—full of my own insecurities and doubts—there is so much to this passage: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
When I pray “in earth, as it is in heaven,” what am I really saying?
Because if I really believe that the provisions, prosperity, and agenda of Heaven can truly be experienced here on Earth, then I must also believe that my mansion can be experienced here too…right?
Because Jesus said, “In my Father’s house [Heaven], there are many mansions…”
-John 14:2
Subsequently, really taking God at His Word, word-for-word, this also means that you can have your mansion, and I can have mine. Again, the words of Christ: “In my Father’s house, there are many mansions…” These mansions are plural. Which means, we don’t have to out-bid for the same mansion, sign a time-share on the same mansion, or fight until there is only one person left standing to occupy the mansion. On the contrary—There is space for all of us to win.
You can have your mansion AND I can have mine...There's space for all of us to win. -@doctorasha
The secret to claiming your mansion? You have to abide with God. To take it from “churchy” to real life: everything about your motivations, mindset, and very existence must be God-driven. This means seeking Him for direction, inspiration, and even approval. <– But that’s so hard, right??!
In a world that is built on out-doing, out-hustling, out-working, and comparisons, I will never truly feel at home. To maintain my godly residence—I have to be focused on building community.
- I have to see my mansion standing beautifully next to other mansions, each wonderful in our own way;
- I have to see majestic architecture, not out-doing one another, but uniting to form neighborhoods;
- And I have to envision how neighborhoods can connect their strengths to form the backbone of community: Community over Competition.
I will admit, it is easy for me to fall below the bar on this one, and I find myself feeling more competitive than collaborative at times. This is especially true when someone seems (emphasis on the perceptive nature of this word) to have my same gifts. When I am in a room with other authors, I have to directly fight feelings of comparison. I have to intentionally shift my brain from feeling threatened by their work, to authentically celebrating their gift in this space. It’s the same when I’m surrounded by other educators, speakers, and wellness professionals. We each have our own mansion, so to do anything but celebrate yours is completely disrespectful to mine. It’s also disrespectful to the One who built mine for me.
We each have our own mansion, so to do anything but celebrate yours is completely disrespectful to mine. -@doctorasha
This mindset has helped me experience some really high highs, as well as grow from some really challenging lows throughout my first year. In working to make “Community Over Competition” a way of life, I have learned some valuable lessons. And I am excited to share in Part 2!
—
Real question: What are your thoughts about this conversation? How do you handle feelings of competition and comparison? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Dr. Asha—speaker, educator, published author, and radio host—is aptly known as the Creator of Healthy Conversations. Her life purpose is to teach the busy and overwhelmed how to live life abundantly. She is an educational consultant and owner of the Temple Fit Company, LLC, and she is the director of Temple Fit Health, Inc. faith-based wellness nonprofit organization. Grab one of Dr. Asha’s recent books and book her for your upcoming program.