Passed over for a promotion

Hi Everyone,

  I just wanted to hear some thoughts.  I have been having a tough time, I was number one in sales in my job in 2012 for accounts under 1 million.  It took 3 years for a position to open up that was in my area and promoted me to work with c level executives in fortune 500 businesses.  I currently work in accounts under 1 million in sales of a specific product.  I applied for this job and I thought I had it in the bag because everyone speaks so highly of me.  I thought it would have been a good chance for my promotion and I got many peers to give me references because everyone knew I would do a good job.  There were others competing for the same position that I did not know and it came down to me and 1 other person.  After 3 face to face meetings with 3 different sales people, I ended up not getting the position and the hiring manager stated there is nothing I could have done.  If this other person did not apply I would have gotten the job and been great at it.  I ignored these feelings at first but I saw that my motivation to be number 1 has been down.  It really affects me because now I procrastinate and I don't have the mojo I had before I applied for this position.  This is the first job I have ever loved and I am so good at it.  It is just such a hard pill to swallow and I feel stuck right now.  It's been hard for me to get the motivation to be number 1 again.  I try to force myself to do it but it has been a tough ordeal. Things that were so easy, are now so hard because If I work I want to be the best.  The best was not enough to give me this promotion.  I want to get things back on track and recently the new hire contacted me and we actually became good friends because I could see why he got the job.  He has a lot of c level experience and great business acumen.  He did not know we were competing and I worked hard to help him get on board.  He speaks very highly of me also, and we have a great relationship but I can not get myself on board to be the top sales person again.  It is very daunting, and I have been thinking of applying somewhere else, but I don't want to.  I see myself getting very high in this company if given the right opportunity but as of right now, it is so tough to deal with this  because I hear a lot of promises and nothing has happened yet.  Some advice would be lovely.