A Thought About Excellence
Yes, I watched the Super Bowl. I like every aspect of the event. The pre-game, the commercials, the "behind the scenes" stories-and even the game.
One aspect that was memorable to me this year was the patriotic presentations prior to the game. Hearing the words of the Declaration of Independence recited word for word was powerful. People may not talk that way anymore, but as Nicholas Cage said in National Treasure, "They think that way." What aspirations our founding fathers had.
In the following presentation offered by Colin Powell and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, more inspiring words were given. The phrase that stuck with me was when Colin Powell stated, Our excellence is not an exception, but our prevailing attitude."
I thought about what my days would be like if I took the attitude that everything I engaged with would be completed with excellence. Every conversation, every task and every thought guided by the benchmark of excellence. If I did that, several things would need to change. I'd have to monitor the number of tasks I attempted because excellence requires more time and energy. I'd have to prioritize what requires excellence and what can be done "good enough."
Maybe the goal is too lofty for us an individuals, but I don't think so. Failing to demand excellence from ourselves creates a void filled with... mediocrity. And our founding fathers as well as the two teams playing in the Super Bowl knew that a prevailing attitude of mediocrity accomplishes nothing of value.
How could you develop a more prevalent attitude of excellence in your daily endeavors?
