Are you mediocre in your approach to work and life? Do you manage to do just enough to get by? Do you maintain the ordinary and blend in with the crowd? Do you want to go beyond mediocrity?
There are problems and needs in the world galore. Each of us has talents and abilities. History shows one person can make a difference in one life and in the world.
If each of us commits to excellence – going beyond mediocrity – using our abilities, we can make a difference.
To move forward with excellence we need to understand ourselves; overcome our perceived barriers and experiences; develop our skills and abilities; express our passion, talent and dreams; and connect with others.
To understand ourselves we benefit from exploring our characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, talents, and abilities We understand more by exploring what is important to us; such as, our values and beliefs. We also gain by looking at our family, culture, community and our time/place in history.
With understanding of ourselves we can take the next step of overcoming our feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt, and our thoughts of not being perfect or good enough. We can assess our sensitivities and limitations to adjust and accommodate. We can evaluate our personal and other’s expectations of us. We can determine what is encouraging and let go of those that are irrelevant.
With our awareness of who we are and how to overcome barriers, we can develop our talents and abilities toward mastery. We can move beyond mediocrity to excellence. We can be lifelong learners. We can avoid the perfectionism trap. We can practice balance for ourselves and bring another drop of balance to the world. Mastery is a journey not a destination. Mastery involves planning and practice.
Next we can express ourselves through our talents, abilities, passions, dreams and creativity to bring solutions, new ideas, and new possibilities to the problems of the world. These expressions can be inventions, collaborative models, or things of beauty. Each contribution is important and impacts the whole.
Through the process of each of us going beyond mediocrity to excellence we will connect with others and the big picture of a better world.
What will you do today to go beyond mediocrity, achieve excellence and contribute to solving the problems of the world?