“Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere. Truly profound and original insights are to be found only in studying the exemplary.”
– Warren G. Bennis (founding Chairman, USC Leadership Institute)
No one is going to tell you this, but striving for excellence is a spiritual habit.
What do you think of when you see the word “excellence”? You might think of an example in an amazing product or service. You might think of an athlete. Maybe a 5-Star Yelp review or an Academy Award. And yes, there is undoubtedly excellence at work in those instances.
Some might understandably think of excellence as perfection, but that can throw us off track. Perfection is an unattainable state that values results over people.
When we bring up the spiritually rich concept of excellence, we mean an orientation toward constant improvement and doing your level best at things that are worth it. Your career, your relationship, your life.
And why is that a spiritual idea?
Excellence is deeply spiritual because excellence communicates value. Excellence says, “What I’m saying and doing is worth this” or, more powerfully, “You are worth this”.
And because excellence enhances the perceived value of people and ideas, it produces some significant fruit:
Excellence is Stewardship
If you decide today to approach everything you do with excellence, you will soon find that you must do less. While mediocrity can stretch you across a vast array of opportunities, relationships, and strategies, excellence demands you choose your priorities. It invites you to invest in less to produce more value.
Excellence Generates Enthusiasm
Without exception, people would much rather give their time, money, attention, and evangelism to excellence. They would prefer to associate with excellence when they can. They more freely share their excellence in an environment or relationship that clearly celebrates excellence.
Excellence Builds Trust
When someone sees how you take care of your car, they subconsciously make judgments about how you might take care of their car if you need to borrow it for a week. When they witness how punctual you are, they make judgments about whether to refer you for that job opportunity. When they witness how you treat your girlfriend or wife, they make judgments about your beliefs. You know it’s true because it’s how you evaluate your world as well. When you show people that you are capable of excellence, they trust that you can deliver excellence. This might seem so obvious that it goes without saying, but is it really? Is it how you live your life? Be honest with yourself.
So, the next time you take a job, the next time you enter a relationship, the next time you volunteer, we invite you to think, “This is an opportunity to show what matters to me. And I believe this is worth my best.”
Whatever you are doing, we encourage you to pursue excellence. It is what we were created for.
How Unravel Can Help You Pursue Excellence
If you want to seek excellence in your life, we encourage you to join an Unravel group today. Unravel groups are made up of men who are determined to grow and shape themselves into the men they know they can be. They encourage themselves and each other to become better individuals, leaders, husbands, fathers, friends, and men of faith. They make the pursuit of excellence a central focus in their lives.
If you’d like to know more about what Unravel has to offer, click here to learn more. If you’re ready to make the commitment, sign up today.
