Yes, it is!! We all have the potential to be excellent at something. Some of us are blessed to be able to do many things well or with excellence. Others of us are only able to do just one thing well. However, whether it is one thing or several, we are all able to operate with excellence. Why do I know this? First, let us define excellence. According to the Oxford dictionary, excellence is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Looking at both statements, we all have the potential to develop our skills, talents or habits in ways that enable us to grow and go from good, to great, to outstanding.
Having defined excellence, I am sure you are now beginning to share my view that we all have excellence in us. I am sure you are already thinking about the thing or things that you are good at. Well, no matter how good we are, we all have the potential to be better. All we need to do is decide that we are not going to settle for mediocrity but do what it takes to PUSH ourselves to the next level, elevating our thought process and, thereby, our standards.
I know sometimes this is easier said than done. Especially if we are in environments that do not encourage us to grow, expand or soar. To prevent this from affecting our outcomes, our desire for excellence MUST come from inside of us. We must decide that this is who we are going to be. We must decide that our standard will not be determined by external forces. Only then will we be able to rise above the external factors, situations and circumstances and be all that we were created and called to be. Only then will we achieve the standards of excellence which will propel us toward embracing our purpose. Yes, excellence does contribute to a purposeful life. You see, excellence is easily achieved when we are doing those things we are passionate about. We will want to get better at them. When passion and excellence are present, we will be operating more purposefully, which will then allow us to become more fulfilled.
Let us then strive for excellence in every area of our lives. Let us strive to develop good habits and hone our skills, activate our gifts, and develop our talents until they go from good to outstanding. Let us strive to be the best that we can be. When we do this, we will realize excellence has, indeed, become not just a habit but also a lifestyle.