When people ask me about my sources of inspiration and references, they are normally expecting me to say who my idols are.
But I prefer having rivals to idols.
The idol is admired for his/her accomplishments, personality, attitudes, or actions. Someone alive or deceased that we aspire to reach someday, be side by side with, be part of their inner circle -or have a poster on the bedroom wall.
The rival, on the other hand, keeps us going in a different way.
Having a rival is a fundamental human need -to be better than someone else at something is an undeniable feeling we all have at some point.
And this desire can sometimes be much more powerful than admiration.
Besides that, admiration can sometimes have the opposite effect. It can make us believe, erroneously or not, that we will never be as good as our idols, and that we will never reach their feet. We forget for a moment that they also worked hard and fought to be where they are or have been.
Rivalry is a completely different story.
Rivalry makes us get out of bed every morning with the feeling that we have a mission. This mission will continue echoing in our minds, poking, and bothering us until it becomes a reality.
It can also happen that our idol and rival are the same person -a rare and extremely efficient mixture. While it’s something to aim for, it’s also something to overcome, like breaking a record.
Never deny the rival’s existence; if you don’t have it, find one.
Its role is fundamental for you to have goals, stay in line, and be focused. Don’t take your rival as a negative thing, since it is, in one way or another, helping you to overcome limits and barriers, things that an idol may never do for you.
And don’t forget that, most likely, you are doing the same favor for your rival.