JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Joint Base Charleston, last week I dedicated most of my week in the units talking with groups of Airmen. My goal was to reach as many people as possible, talking to everyone about decision-making and setting themselves up for success. Why was this reach so needed? Well, several events have transpired across JB CHS that has reminded me about the importance of committing to excellence. Let's reflect on excellence for a moment.
"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it."
- Abraham Lincoln
Commitment to excellence leads to making good decisions. Have you ever wondered why Greg, Sara (or other) ended up driving under the influence, or doing poor work performance, or living a life of risks that caused an accident? You may have thought to yourself, "I can't believe he did that." I strongly believe that forgetting who you disappoint or who is behind you, wishing you well all the way - the "fan club" - can lead a person to making wrong decisions.
So the question here is, "How can I help myself, my friend, fellow worker, Airman or Sailor continue to make good decisions?" Commit yourself day after day to excellence. The quote above speaks great truths about excellence. Excellence is a process of strong will - right makes might. It is the process of doing the right thing, "our duty," even when doing the right thing departs from being popular. Excellence is also a process of believing, or "faith." As you do right, you do right with conviction and an end in mind - your vision for a better future. Soon enough, everything you touch and everything you do transforms. This is the magic of success.
"Our cause must be entrusted to, and conducted by its own undoubted friends - whose hands are free, whose hearts are in the work--who do care for the result."
- Abraham Lincoln
Commitment to excellence leads to helping others. If you have seen documentaries about Martin Luther King, Roberto Clemente (Hall of Fame Baseball player), or any other great American, there is one thing you see in common: They have dedicated themselves to others at great cause. I've been thinking about these two examples for a while. Why? Both of them could have chosen to live a life of comfort but decided otherwise. Of course, they both were people of great achievements and inspiration. But this was not enough. Both Martin Luther King and Roberto Clemente understood that excellence is the ultimate success, and success alone is not success. Lifting people to realize their true freedoms is the ultimate success. Being excellent compels us to lend a hand to lift our friends, co-workers, units and communities. This is the magic of people achieving and communities thriving.
"To think rightly is to create. All things come through desire and every sincere prayer is answered. We become like that on which our hearts are fixed."
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh
Commitment to excellence leads to better quality of life for you and those around you. Someone once told me, "Watch what you're thinking." And I thought about this a great deal. There is great wisdom in those words. In essence, and as the quote from James Allen above cites, we become our thoughts. Our thoughts are embedded commands, and we give ourselves these commands all throughout the day. When we say, "I think this is good." We give ourselves a command about how good we can be. When we say, "I can't do ____." Then we command our beings to achieve that level of performance. You have just limited your achievement by setting the bar too low. Committing ourselves to excellence leads to positive thinking. This leads us to say, "I can be ___" ... "I can achieve____" ... "I can become ___." So what is the effect? The effect of committing yourself to excellence is a new way of thinking about what you can achieve. This new thinking produces great energy that leads to personal achievements, and therefore, a better quality of life. This is the magic of personal success and a better life.
What do we want? We want our lives to become rich and full of purpose. We can do it! What do we need to do? We need to commit ourselves to excellence. I submit to you this is the magic of success! I leave you with a great thought and one of my favorite quotes. Commit to excellence ... raise the bar!
"Unless you put everything you have into your pursuits, what is life worth? The quality of your life is in direct proportion to your commitment to excellence."
- Vince Lombardi