We are born in the world like plain blackboards, which is ready to accept and reflect anything written on it. But few things are naturally inborn and pervasive within us.
Just as a blackboard is basically always going to be black, so is our ability to absorb and form habits, going to be eternally existent. One of the many habits cultivable in us is that to defy competition and excel in life. Excellence is not an act or performance that may probably have an encore and then become oblivion, but it can be made our way of life. We lead a life of our choice and at a standard set by us.
When we are the owner, operator and nurturer of our lives, it is quite simple for us to raise its quality level. All machines can work at different capacity utilizations depending on our requirement. Our body is a similar machine with our mind located in the processing unit of our brain. Its capacity utilization is solely our discretion. Excelling in life requires 100% capacity usage and astonishingly there is no upper limit for cent percent capacity of our mind. Our capability and its utilization can be reviewed and revised at our choice. Excellence is nothing but one of the many habits we form in our lives. Just as some are sticklers to hygiene, punctuality or health consciousness, some are and more can become sticklers to excellence.
Cawper said, “Few boys are born with talents that excel, but all are capable of living well”.
But have we ever heard of an angel descending down and whispering in the ears of an infant that you are among the few boys with special talents? It is the infant himself who grows up, recognizes his talents and sets the ball rolling to reach the goals. History has also not recorded any infant born with a fondness to smoke. But we see more than half of the youngsters smoke their first cigarette out of curiosity and when it gives them a high and a state of trance, the second cigarette is not far from hand. Soon smoking becomes a habit because it provides a fake tranquil pleasure. The habit makes 7 out of 10 smokers clinically addicted to smoking.The habit of “Excelling in life” follows a similar pattern except that that the pleasure here is neither deceptive nor ethereal like smoking
None of us are born with the tag of “WINNER”. Winning and winning repeatedly is a matter of choice. The first trophy of success is very dear to us; it ignites the passion to reach for more and frequently. When the joy of achievement becomes intoxicating, excellence becomes a habit. Talents are the raw material ubiquitously given to us by God and excelling is the habit we can form through these talents. The latest neurological research states that the network of cells in the conscious part of our mind is far more intelligent and 800 times faster than the rest of the brain.
It is further known that 90% of our mind is at the unconscious level, which is marionette of the thoughts generated by 10% of our conscious mind. But the unconscious mind has substantial effect on our lives. So if we can regulate 10% of our mind to release energizing and positive thoughts, we could rule our entire mind and life.
There is another fact, which is that the best things always have the most difficult going. The passion to excel also does not come with a touch of magic wand. Though the taste of success is elating, the urge to give up and set into complacency is equally tempting. But this is the test of resilience and tenacity of the mind. If we give up at the first step itself, there can be no convergence between aims and actions.
Remember, “Winners never quit and quitters never win”. When wine touches the tongue for the first time, the bitter taste is almost repulsive but one glass down and the charms of bottle begin to uncork. With the second glass there is close acquaintance with the bitterness, the third glass makes the bitterness sweet and by then wine almost enslaves you. Excelling in life also comes with the bitterness of brickbats.
But the consistency and tenacity to want better and higher makes the challenges of life also endearing. However, one must remember that wine numbs the conscious and takes us into a surreal world but the drive to excel requires to convert even the unconscious into conscious. There is an addictive delight in flattening the hurdles and defying competition to excel in life. Excellence is rising above par but excellence becomes success only when the means and the end, dissected with the scalpel of righteousness shall not smell foul. Excellence is also, like other habits, a product of persistence and patience. Once the habit becomes strong and gets into the system, the task seems routine and effortless. Just let the joy of success seep into your cells and intoxicate you enough that talents become your resource and success becomes habit.
