Twinn Swan

Recently, I took to watching talent shows. Is the point of going on these shows ‘to win’ or is it to gain exposure so that you can go onto having a successful career in show business? I think, for the most part, seeing the track record of these shows (and the number of repeat contestants), the point of the show is to win. After all, why would anyone else choose to join a contest? They are definitely doing it to win. And yet, out of the thousands of applicants, there will only be one winner. The odds are stacked against you.

Even amongst the annual winners, only a handful of them go on to have a successful long-term career in showbusiness. This led me to conclude that the contestants do not join because they think they’re actually going to win. Is it the thrill of the battle which gets some people out of bed in the morning? Many of these contestants even go on to try their luck elsewhere if they’ve been unsuccessful on one show. But would that guarantee them a successful singing career? I think the answer is no.

Recently, I heard an interview with a famous and successful artist who said that these shows attract a particular kind of artist. I am inclined to agree. Most of them do not come up with their own music. They are performers and not artists. While many of their cover versions are, indeed, much better than the originals; their talent is spilled by staying in a contest or a competition which simply cannot guarantee them a successful singing career.

Perhaps most of these talents are, indeed, better off investing their time, their energy and their money elsewhere.

The Competition

Be prepared for a battle… But why in the world did you choose to engage in this conflict, anyway? What did you think you would stand to gain? Would it really get you to your destination or was it just one big distraction on the way there? Perhaps some people do get ‘there’ using this road, but the numbers are far too small for you to think that you can rely on it.

If this has happened to you, try to take a common-sense approach to the situation. Rein in the urge to just ‘go for it’ and figure out what’s really going on. Ask yourself: is this conflict worth my time and energy? Should I try a new approach seeing as how this road will, most likely, not lead me to my destination?

When the Five of Wands appears, it heralds the presence of a competition or a contest. Yes, we are all in it to win, but we will still have to be friendly (at least on the surface) with the other contestants. It doesn’t matter if it is a team sport or an individual sport. At the end of the day, everyone is out for themselves. They want to win and this means that everyone else has to lose. This card can appear when one person feels threatened by someone else. This in turn inspires jealousy, envy and greed in all the others.

When the Five of Wands shows up in a reading, it reminds you to be friendly with your competitors. It is not in your best interests to show your deeper and darker emotions, even if you do have them. Be a good sportsman or sportswoman. Know when it is time to bow out of the game. Do not get into an open conflict with others whom you have to play with. In the future, it is highly likely that they will be your colleagues. If you ruin the relationship now, they will not want to play with you in the future.

NEW TEAMMATES

When the Five of Wands appears, it reminds us that we should try to understand another person’s viewpoint before we try to impose our own. Since this is a wands card, it usually represents a lack of collaboration or cooperation on the part of the people who are involved in the conflict.

In the business world, one strange occurrence that we do see is that people who are in competition with one another also find ways in which to cooperate with one another. But when this wands card appears, you may find that the people in your life are not interested in cooperating with you. They are putting themselves first and have no interest in resolving the conflict.

One of the ways in which we deal with a situation that has been stressful for a while is to move to a different situation where competition or work pressure is far less. If you find yourself in an environment where competition and pressure are constant, find a place where people are more friendly, easygoing and peaceful.

This change of mood will allow you to relax more, focus on your work and create better results. The energy that you expended to maintain sanity in that stressful work environment can now be channelled towards other aspects and areas of your life. You can choose not to be in conflict or competition with others. After all, the truth is that it is just not going to get you anywhere.

There are certain conflicts which cannot be resolved, no matter how much we invest into them. The conflict either seems to deepen or get worse over time (see Five of Swords). At the end of the day, you do not owe it to anyone to stay or get dragged into a situation where there is a significant amount of conflict or argument.

Trust me and believe me when I say that there are other opportunities out there. Take the first footstep and the universe will, indeed, arise to help you.