The other day I passed a construction site only to observe a large amount of men lolling about waiting for the next shipment of concrete or whatever to suddenly engage them with some immediate task. This got me to thinking: this is probably how most of us exist; we have large periods of absolute boredom only to be punctuated by momentary “gasps” of intensity-fueled passion or effort. The question is: if you are a thoughtful human being, is this how you want to live? The answer is an instantaneous, “no.” The problem I believe, however, is that few of us have any appreciation of time whatsoever. We focus on our bodies, our careers, our romantic associations and our financial goals, to name but a few. These occur as our mortal clock clicks away. Additionally: do most people truly do a marvelous job when they, say, clean a toilet? Unfortunately, those who fail to acknowledge the power of time and the strength of excellence will suffer: hence the bitter old man or woman. (2) The key to snuffing out these painful phenomena is to step forward and take up the banner of what I like to call “mindful excellence.”
Mindful excellence is a combination of two powerful English words: mindfulness, which is basically a concept of being aware of your surroundings and your time in those surroundings, and excellence which is the manifestation of your best efforts. Mindfulness according to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn (1) means “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. It also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them — without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.” Further: according to Aristotle, “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
Mindful excellence, therefore, means that you are aware of your actions and whatever you do you do excellently.
How does this work? Let us say that you have to accomplish a simple task: you must clean your house. In this case, you endeavor to clean your house “masterfully.” You scrub, vacuum, wash and tidy to the best of your ability. You, of course, set your own standard, but it is still predicated on the superlative: the best. I teach at numerous high schools. It is with great sadness that I seem many young students attempt to accomplish their proscribed daily cleanings. They do this without ardor and without effort. You concretize and reinforce your personal image of self. If you accept sloth and mediocrity, this becomes a part of you. This translates into mature society. Do we honestly believe that vast amounts of people are truly aspiring for excellence? I think not. That being said, unless you have mental or psychological problems, there is simply no excuse for accepting failure in life. Now, this success must be divorced from money. Those of fabulous financial wealth often do not aspire to excellence. “In real life, working hard only takes you so far. Those who go all the way — to grand fortune — typically get a substantial head start. So documents a new analysis of the Forbes 400.” (3) This then becomes my mantra: Every day I promise to aspire to be mindfully excellent in my actions. Just the acceptance of this will begin to change your world. The iconic actor Michael J. Fox (b. 1961) leaves us with a thought: I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.
A closing thought: Basic human kindness is what makes the Taiwanese experience unique. If this could be emulated in all parts of the world, we would “set a course” that would lead humanity to peace and understanding. No person of kindness thrusts his belief system of religion, sex or politics on another. Forceful purveyors of this ilk cannot be defined as human beings.
A small joke: The photographer was positioning a new husband and his wife for a series of wedding photos when he suddenly asked, “Have you ever modeled?” The wife’s cheeks instantly turned red. “No, I haven’t,” she said. “But I always thought …” The photographer interrupted her: “No, I meant him.”
This week, please ponder your level of personal effort: is it up to your standard?
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: You have only one life in this consciousness. Why not live it well and with great panache?
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