Comfort is the god of 21st century America (and likely in your country as well). Mediocrity is defined as "the state or quality of being average, ordinary, or unremarkable - neither very good or very bad. It often implies a lack of excellence, distinction, or ambition."
I have several problems with the idea of mediocrity, but due to the prevalence of mediocrity, I have to tiptoe around the layer of eggshells that mediocrity creates. Disclaimers are deemed necessary so people's comfort zones don't get too wounded while truth is spoken. People are expected to apologize if they quote from the Bible or if they want to personally excel. Wealth or success in business is frowned upon by people who have accepted a state of being "average, ordinary, or unremarkable."
When did it become evil to aim for excellence? When did we lose the sense of healthy pride that distinction provides? When did ambition toward healthy success turn from a way to serve God into a sin that we're scared of?
The idea that excellence, distinction, and ambition are not necessary today is previlent everywhere (except when our favorite sports team plays - THEY are expected to give 100%!). When someone pushes ahead and works harder than everyone else, the gossip starts flying behind their backs: "Did you see that brownnoser? They keep getting more hours; the boss must have a special place for people like them."
You may say, "Chris, that isn't a problem with me! I push - I work hard!" If this is you, I give you the warning from the title of today's blog - beware the mediocrity you tolerate.
Mediocrity is easy to see in others and near impossible to see in ourselves, without the assistance of a third-party. Once I fall into a comfort zone or familiar zone, I become blind to the realities around me. I need someone or something from outside of my emotional moment to point out the flaws in my logic. I need questions asked of me that force truth into my situation.
Allow me to ask some questions of you, specifically regarding an area of life where you are struggling to push or to be extraordinary. Allow the truth and logic of answering these questions to wake you up from your mediocrity and push you toward healthy ambition.
In what areas are you willing to do mediocre work?
Why does doing the work in that area scare you?
Whose opinion are you fearful of?
What results of tomorrow are you willing to accept so that you don't have to do the work in that area today?
What results do you realistically expect based on your mediocre effort in that area?
Beware the mediocrity that you are tolerating, especially if you haven't even noticed that you are tolerating it.
Just a thought.
