Holistic/Spiritual Life Coaching and Healing

Competitive or Creative– which is better?

Which of the following scenarios is more inviting?

You struggle in a dog-eat-dog world, continually trying to be on top of things. Life becomes a daily survival of the fittest. Or…

You know that you live in an inclusive world, where everything is connected. You learn from the challenges, creatively and compassionately problem-solve and live your heart’s desires.

The first scenario illustrates existing on the Competitive Plane. The second one gives a taste of the Creative Plane. More on these important terms in a moment.

A helpful way to understand yourself is to observe how you operate, what model of reality you tend to use. Said differently, what is your framework? How do you orient yourself to being in the world?

Here is a great clarification for this important topic. Over a century ago, Wallace Wattles described the Creative and Competitive Planes in his classic works The Science of Getting Rich and The Science of Being Great.

These “planes” are states of mind that govern our thoughts and actions. They determine our way of being and how we show up in the world.

In our Spiritual Life Coaching and Healing Program we explore these worlds, let’s  share some key points in this article. In the process, it will help  boost your soul awareness and spiritual growth.

Characteristics of the Competitive and Creative Planes 

The Competitive Plane is characterized by a polarized, dualistic viewpoint. This includes…

us vs them

belief in limited resources
top-down hierarchy
profit-oriented
performance and outcome based.

The Creative Plane is holistic and multi-dimensional. This includes…

abundance
being inclusive (unity in diversity)
scale and relativity (seeing the big picture and shades of gray)
a purpose-planet-profit approach
recognizing the lower can’t see the higher

Delving Deeper into the Competitive Plane

Let’s look at how these characteristics play out in real life. On the Competitive Plane, we follow rigid lines and see things in opposite extremes. This shows up as you are in the in-group or out-group, you are free or enslaved, or you are saved or damned.

To offer an example of life on the Competitive Plane, if you have a business, profits are basically all that matters. You might engage in unethical behavior, such as exaggerating your profits or making promises you can’t keep. The ends can justify the means here.

Or if you are in a group or religion, from the Competitive Plane viewpoint, you are a member of the chosen ones. Everyone else is inferior, lost or maybe even your enemy.

Delving Deeper into the Creative Plane

On the Creative Plane, love, fluid problem-solving and infinite possibilities abound. From the Creative Plane we are richly alive and interconnected. We glow with the awareness of being a spiritual being inhabiting a human body for a while and exploring different experiences and challenges.

From this perspective, we use and enjoy material things without getting consumed by them.

We also realize that having people who don’t understand or like us comes with the territory.  Our critics, however fair or unfair, are part of the game of life to deal with and learn from.

In addition to learning how to handle the hostile forces on the outside, we have our own inner critics and demons to tame.

To give an example of the Creative Plane, if you wanted to start a coaching or healing business, you would have a desire to succeed. Yet you wouldn’t want to get fixated on the results, like having a certain number of clients or a specific income.  These can be instructive guidelines and relevant at times, but such numbered results are not the ultimate drivers.

Here is how to build your business. You marshal your talents, develop relevant skills and build relationships. This process entails learning how to communicate with others to get your message out (i.e,, marketing).

You go through the inevitable ups and downs of building a business, and develop persistence and wisdom along the way. In the process, you become a realistic optimist. You plan, you test things out, and adjust accordingly.

Putting It All Together

The evolutionary goal is to spend more time on the Creative Plane than the Competitive Plane.

To help, engage in spiritual activities like meditation and soul centering.  Hang out with like-minded people. Be altruistic. Be more authentic. And have a healthy lifestyle (diet, rest, sunlight, and exercise).

As you become more intentional with what you do and what you say, you live more on the Creative Plane.

Yet sometimes we do get stuck on the Competitive Plane. Know that this lower vibration is to be used and transcended.  We can be competitive to be our best. We can focus and enjoy material things.

So the Competitive Plane is both a foil and launching pad for the Creative Plane. The Competitive Plane weights us down when things get too heavy, restrictive and heartless. This discomfort motivates us to change.

This heavier plane also becomes a launching pad by using its positive elements, such as drive and discipline. It means transcending the divisive, separatist aspects like all-or-nothing thinking.

As we get clear about the Creative Plane, it’s easier to recognize where we are now and where we may want to go. Our hearts and minds open. Then it’s easier to ascend to the creative realm of pure potential and infinite possibilities.

Final Thoughts on Competition and Creation

The polarization we see ─ along with the racism, patriarchy and materialism ─ can be disheartening.  And we can accept the possibility that things may continue on a destructive path.

Here is what we can do to grow now:

We can rise to the Creative Plane as much as possible.
We can attune our mindset to more love, generosity and compassion.
We can stand up for ourselves, while humbly learning and growing.
We can keep remembering that we are all connected.

And beneath the seeming chaos is a divine order that we are integrally connected to, like the air we breathe.

As you take in this information, you will find ways to make it your own. This lifts you to the Creative Plane with your soul’s awareness.

Living more on the Creative Plane there is much joy, much to learn and grow, and much to explore. A wonderfully endless and infinite journey. The field of infinite possibilities can show us the way. We are then more able to love our brothers and sisters and the earth we live on.