In January of every year, I (like most people) take stock of my life and ponder what I hope to accomplish in the New Year. After some thought, I decided that I was going to make 2010 my Year of Excellence. Notice that I did not say perfection, but excellence. Now I realize that you are probably scratching your head and wondering what I mean by this, so allow me to explain. ..
Pat Riley said that “Excellence is not about having things, or about having recognition, or about having money or power or position. It’s about being part of something worthwhile – where people can go above and beyond”. Well, this quote is going to be my mission statement for 2010.
I have set up a couple of guidelines for my journey:
I will not allow negativity and pessimism to poison my life. Did you know that you can think positive thoughts on purpose?! Many motivational speakers talk about this, but they make it sound easy – you have to be vigilant and it takes some work, but you will reach a point where ejecting negative, stinky thoughts from your mind will become effortless.
I will praise others for their successes. It’s an easy initial reaction to question “Why not me?” Keep in mind that there is a time for all things and celebrating someone else’s success will not diminish your triumphs when they come. Plus, we never know how important that success may really mean to the other person.
I will not dwell on what life owes me. Life doesn’t owe us diddly-squat. The fact that we are alive and breathing in itself is a miracle, so be thankful for what you have and be joyful in your journey.
I will do nice things for people who can’t really benefit me. Do nice things simply for the joy of doing them. Especially if you’re in a bad mood or just feeling particularly cranky, do something nice for someone else. Even something as small as paying the toll for the person in line behind you – it will lighten your mood. The funny thing is, the more you do, the better you feel.
I will be friendly to everyone – even if they were not friendly to me. For all you know, you might be the only person that has been nice to them all day…or all week. Why not be the highlight of someone’s day or week!
I’ve taken this list of 5 things and posted it on the mirror in my bathroom so I will be reminded of what I promised myself I would do. I know that there will be times that I will falter and not live up to these standards, but stay tuned and I will post periodic updates to let you in on my progress (or lack thereof…out stinky thought! Yea, first victory!) If you would like to join me, that would be great and I would love to hear how you are doing in your journey as well!