Excellence vs. Flawlessness

Like so many people, I once associated excellence with flawlessness. The excellent person never makes mistakes, is always consistent and confident, and is continuously applauded by scores of imperfect, jealous admirers.

My misconception produced guilt and disappointment as my shortcomings stubbornly lingered like barnacles on a pier. The gnawing thought persisted: I was destined to a life of ineptitude. As a result, I was bound to fail myself, others, and God. Before I could become fulfilled, some thing had to occur. Either I must drastically improve my level of performance, or I must take another look at the meaning of excellence.

…Excellence is difficult to define. But we all certainly recognize it when we observe it in others. And we are refreshed and reassured when we witness it. What is excellence? It’s a certain style of life, a manner of living, a bigness of spirit, a point of view, a frame of reference, a set of priorities, a hierarchy of values, an admirable self imposed standard.