X is for Xcellence

I have a helper at home, who helps me with the household chores. She is a bright, young girl, who works to support her college education and she is a total delight to have around the house. She works so systematically, putting things in order, removing every speck of dust, and cleaning the vessels to a sparkle. You will never hear vessels being dropped due to careless handling, or a drop of water spilled anywhere. In short, she is extraordinarily meticulous! The chores she does are mundane everyday routine jobs, but she does them with excellence day after day, and that’s what sets her apart. I have had helpers before; careless ones, the ones who brought their problems to work, and the ones who thought this is just another house, another job. And that is why, this girl not only gets paid more, she gets my respect and love too. She is just like family. I don’t mind giving her an entire fortnight off when she has her exams, because I know when she comes back, she will be ticking like precision clockwork!

While she does her job, she gives me an important lesson to learn. It doesn’t really matter what your field of endeavor is, the quality of your life is in direct proportion to your commitment to excellence. However “Excellence” does not mean “Perfection”. There is a fine thread that divides both; while excellence is a positive trait and it motivates you to do your best, trying to be perfect could be demotivating to the point of being frustrating. You don’t have to be perfect at all. Excellence does not mean being the best. It simply means doing your best. It means that you care for things more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical and expect more than others think is possible.

So, how does one achieve excellence? There is only one difference between just doing a job and excelling at it, and that difference is attention to details. This involves discipline and a tenacity of purpose. And by excelling in whatever field you are in, you become a yardstick of quality. Your value is automatically way above the rest. We have been raised to be competitive and life often becomes a competing ground, but aiming for a win or success is not as important as aiming for excellence. So keep your intentions high, your efforts sincere, and the execution intelligent and that will determine your destiny. 

"Going far beyond the call of duty, doing more than what others expect.....Is what XCELLENCE is all about".