This is one of the topics I discussed with my friend Melanee today. I love excellence. I crave it. I seek to create it in my own life (shut up! I already know I have a long way to go!) and am starving to find more of it all around me. I've always been puzzled as to why there isn't more excellence out there. Why do movie studios spend $millions in production without letting someone fix the script first, for example? In most cases, it wouldn't be that difficult. One answer I found was that life simply takes up all of everyone's time. Nearly all of the gifted people out there are probably too busy earning a living, raising children, etc. to give us their best work. Another problem is that it's not enough to have a talent, you also have to market it, or get it into the right hands to do so. Not an easy task, and it's not common to have both an artistic (or whatever) skill and excellent marketing skills. A third is that excellence often takes a lot of time and effort. Years of toil and risk and set backs. So...no wonder we end up living in a too-mediocre world (which isn't to say it's not AWESOME! It is. A lot of it could just be a lot better, that's all, so please don't oversimplify and accuse me of being negative). Today Melanee read me a quote that gave me yet another useful answer. Here it is:

"Excellence may be a universal ideal, but it is a personal goal for only a few. The attainment of excellence begins with a vision -- a vision of what is possible. "The vision does not visit everyone; it selects the most fertile ground for its development. What criteria does it use? Inherent capability, surely. However, there must also be emotional receptivity, a willingness to embrace the vision and devote oneself to it. "If the ability is there, but the receptivity is lacking, the vision will be fleeting. It only remains with those who are willing to work toward its fruition."      (Linda Kreger Silverman)

So what's the "answer"? Do people just need the vision, the awareness, of what's possible? Often, yes. I totally believe that. The more examples of excellence that exist, the more people will be able to seek and attain it. Do people need to be more dedicated to it? Certainly, and I hope they find motivation somewhere - I hope parents and teachers will encourage children to believe in themselves, that they can accomplish whatever they really choose to, for example. Or is this simply one more of a billion talents, and will people who don't possess entelechy (definition below) never feel the required drive? To a degree, this is probably also true. Just as well. The driven life comes with plenty of challenges and maybe it's best for most people to enjoy more peace instead. In summary...I don't know how everything fits together but I hope to eventually fill my life with a lot of excellence, make the world a better place, and surround myself with others who understand this drive.

Entelechy Derived from the Greek word for having a goal, entelechy is a particular type of motivation,need for self-determination, and an inner strength and vital force directing life and growth to become all one is capable of being. Gifted people with entelechy are often attractive to others who feel drawn to their openness and to their dreams and visions. Being near someone with this trait gives others hope and determination to achieve their own self-actualization. (from Deirdre Lovecky, "Warts and Rainbows: Issues in the Psychotherapy of the Gifted", Advanced Development, Jan., 1990)

Are you directed by an inner vision of your purpose in life, or have a dream that is all-consuming? Are you highly motivated to be all you are capable of being? Are you deeply involved in creating your own destiny? Do you continue to believe in yourself and your vision, even when no one else does? Are others attracted to your vision, wanting to participate?

Definition of entelechy (and other quotes on this page) come from http://talentdevelop.com/selftest2.html - if you liked this post, you should DEFINITELY read that page and if 97% of it applies to you, then I would like to know you!!