The Importance Of Rivals

By Lev Novak

Sometimes you just don’t feel like doing something.

That can be something like going to class, or it could be a lack of motivation to go the gym. Hey, maybe you just don’t feel like writing today, or practicing. And that’s fine, it really is, but too much of that is going to add up over time.

There are a lot of good reasons to do what you should. First of all, you should, and hopefully, you even enjoy it. I’m a writer. I should write. I enjoy writing. But I also enjoy naps. And if enjoyment is the only reason I do something, if that’s the only motivation, well, I’m going to be doing an awful lot of napping in front of empty word documents.

Sometimes, then, you need an extra push. And working for what you love is good. But we’re humans, and as fleshy animals, we have certain needs and motivations. And one of those motivations is to crush our enemies.

Yes, crush our enemies. Sounds dark. And it is, at least a little bit. But you can harvest that energy and do great things with it when you otherwise wouldn’t. For example, I first submitted to College Humor because a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, got published by them. They were very excited, and I was happy for them, but a part of me wasn’t.

A part of me said; I could do that. And so I did. And it worked.

That’s something that you can use if you’re that sort of person. It’s something I try to inspire in others as well. A friend of mine is the greatest writer I know, but he won’t submit his writing anywhere. I, meanwhile, write for uCribs. I try to make him mad; I try to wave my writing checks in front of him. I buy him beer, tease him, loudly announce how, boy, writing sure is easy.

He’s working on a novel now. If it’s as good as I hope it is, your kids will be studying it in thirty years.

If you’re unmotivated, don’t compare yourself to the greats. If you want to rap, don’t compare yourself to Biggie. That’s a losing argument. How could you hope to achieve? Instead, compare yourself to someone mediocre; someone successful that you know deep down you’re better than. Get mad, get motivated.

Rick Ross is an incredibly wealthy rapper. You could do better, right? Then do it.

David Foster Wallace is a terrific writer. I am an okay writer. But I compare myself to lower talents. Am I as good as [name redacted]? Of course I am. I have his book right next to me and it’s bad. I truly could do better. But I keep it next to my laptop to remind me to actually do it.

Complaining and being a hater doesn’t make you better. But, used correctly, it can inspire you to live up to your actual potential. Don’t compare yourself to the greats; compare yourself to the people who make you mad, those people who you have to beat, who you can beat, and…just beat them. It’s that easy.

And, if you can do better than me, I invite you to do so.

I could use another rival.

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