The Way of Excellence

Recently, I've become intrigued by the concept of practicing excellence. Previously, I often pursued excellence primarily for external approval—seeking recognition for my achievements. However, now I find myself driven to practice excellence for reasons that are far more profound and intrinsic.

A few weeks ago, I woke up one morning feeling an unusual drive towards excellence that I hadn't felt before. I wanted to pursue excellence for its own sake. This mindset was different from what I was accustomed to. Previously, I aimed for excellence to make things look good. Now, I was striving for excellence because I genuinely wanted to tap into the excellence I believed was within me. Naturally, I started to completely redo and reorganize things at home. I emptied my drawers to fold all the clothes, took all the dishes out of the cabinets to organize them, and cleared out my closets to sort through my boxes and reorganize everything. Then it happened.

I envisioned God crafting and forming planets. These planets were breathtakingly beautiful, featuring floating islands and stunning landscapes. I questioned God, "Why create these planets if no one will ever witness them?" I received a response: "I created these because I simply enjoy creating for my own pleasure." This realization struck me. As a co-creator, I have the power to create things just for the sake of it. I can pursue excellence and embody it simply because I want to. I don't need a reason. This insight transformed my understanding of excellence and the motivation behind my pursuit of it. I no longer practiced it for others to admire my work; I practiced excellence because something within me genuinely enjoyed it.

However, my comprehension of excellence did not stop at this point. I kept seeking guidance from God to uncover more insights. I started to realize that the practice of excellence is divided into three distinct levels.

Constructing/Reconstructing - At this stage, we can transform any item and elevate it to excellence. In the earlier experience I mentioned, I emptied my drawers, folded my clothes, and reorganized them. I transformed something mediocre into something excellent. This principle also applies to creating something new. Building with excellence means crafting it to the best of our abilities from the beginning.

Maintenance - Achieving excellence at this stage involves preserving the high standards initially set for whatever you constructed or reconstructed. I've observed that this phase tends to be more time-consuming and slightly more challenging because it requires you to consistently apply excellence over an extended period.

Enhancement- This phase of excellence represents the pinnacle. At this point, you refine the excellence you've already achieved. This stage requires delving into the specifics to elevate the level of excellence further.

I have also realized that after something has been enhanced to its fullest potential, there is an opportunity to replace it with something even better, such as a new version or iteration. Thus, the cycle continues.

In the end, I've realized that excellence isn't about achieving perfection or being flawless; it's about consistently performing to the best of your ability or reaching your highest potential. This is comforting because all that's required is to put in your best effort according to your own standards, not someone else's.