The most profound thing I have ever heard (I think about this every day):
“Hell on earth would be to meet the man you could have been.”
I want be able to meet the guy I could have been, look him in the eye, and say, “I know you . . . because I am you!”
James Michener (a seriously great author) had an equally insightful thought about this:
“The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.
He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both.”
The key to mastering the art of living starts with defining your vision of excellence!
Here it is on a bumper sticker:
There is a big difference between success and excellence. Success is getting there. Excellence is staying there.
Thinking Time
Ask yourself: What is my vision of excellence?
Where is my level of engagement and intensity of focus inconsistent with that vision and the outcomes I desire?
What needs to happen for me to be one of the top ten experts in my field?
Where am I dabbling (doing just enough to get by) and what needs to be done about it?
If my vision of excellence is mastery, what needs to change and how would I live my life?
Where have I focused on success (getting there) and am missing the distinction of excellence (staying there)?
NOW . . . Go think about your vision!
Whenever you’re ready, here are a few ways we can help:
