The Search for Excellence – Part 1
Print This Article
| 
Email This Article
Excellence doesn’t seem to be a sought-after quality these days. We see it in our economy - when banks and insurance companies need bailouts as a result of shoddy or irresponsible business practices. We see it in our government - with the ever-increasing amount of debt and ever decreasing efficiency of operations. We see it in education - when students are promoted despite failing grades; when teachers teach “to the test” and when education as a whole is being “dumbed down”.
Don’t believe for a minute that as long as we accept the status quo and allow ourselves to get mired in mediocrity or settle for “whatever”, we will be able to restore our culture or our country to the position of leadership and rate of progress we once enjoyed.
In order to begin to reintroduce the concept of excellence, then, to our culture, we have to know what it is characterized by and what it looks like. Excellence is achieved by “gearing up” in 3 areas: how we feel, how we think, and how we act.
Enthusiasm (how we feel) – There is a popular reply among teens these days: “Whatever.” It reflects a laissez-faire attitude that is satisfied with just getting by. Those who strive for excellence are never satisfied with just getting by; “good” or “ok” are just not acceptable! Their motto is “there’s always room for improvement”. If we are to go about doing anything with excellence, we need to muster up enthusiasm for our tasks. In school, I often encourage my children (not to mention myself!) to do an attitude check before they start an activity. It makes all the difference, not only in the process, but in the outcome.
Expectations (how we think) – Because of this enthusiasm, there is always the desire to achieve, to do better. This opens up one’s eyes and mind to be creative and notch it up a level; to always desire to “build the better mousetrap”. If we think we can handle a project, we usually can! If we intend to do it better, well... we usually do!
Effort (how we act) – The natural sum of an enthusiastic attitude and high expectations is concerted effort. The excellence-seeker knows “what is best” takes work to achieve. They are not afraid of doing the hard thing or going the extra mile. And it shows in whatever they put their hands to.
So here’s where you, reader, come in. Resolve to face whatever tasks you have today with excellence. Resolve to try it again tomorrow! When things don’t turn out as you’d have liked, see what you can learn from it, and begin again. We can’t expect our children, our family, our church or our government to do what we’re not willing to attempt ourselves. Change always begins with the individual - resolve today to be an individual characterized by and displaying true excellence!
Pat Fenner offers encouragement to homeschoolers at Help-4-Your-Homeschool.com. For monthly doses of encouragement, inspiration and ideas, sign up for her free newsletter “Sparks for the Flame”.
