Competition can only limit you

I was in an Entrepreneur Lecture class yesterday and had one of those the-guy-speaking-said-something-basic-but-I-expounded-on-it-until-I-had-an-epiphany moments. The guy runs the Provo Great Harvest Bread Company franchise, and was talking about competition when he first opened his store here. He said after bread sales began to skyrocket, other bread companies started opening up around town. Then he talked about his attitude towards dealing with the competition, and basically said he didn't pay attention to them--they were in competition with him, and not the other way around.

Then I realized that focusing on being in competition with someone limits you. Why set the bar just barely higher than the person you're competing with rather than just work as hard as you can to set it as high as you can? That's like running a race just fast enough to beat someone you're competing against, rather than trying to do your best in the first place.

I think it applies to living the gospel too. Why do just what we're asked to do, when we're told to be anxiously engaged in a good cause of our own free will? Don't just obey the commandments, live them! Don't just avoid tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, but eat well and exercise! Don't wonder how close to the edge you can get before falling, but stay as far from it as you can! Don't compare yourself to those around you, but just try to be the best you can be. That way you're not limiting yourself to the best someone else can do (especially since they also may not be trying their hardest to be the best they can be!). On the other hand, you're also not getting frustrated for falling short of other people's best (this is much more what I have to worry about).