Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. | Albert Einstein
I have experienced a lot of opposition lately. I tend not to stay in my box at work. My creative mind comes up with new ways of doing things, and I am always looking at trying to find out why things are done a certain way. The most common response when I ask someone “Why are we doing this?” or “Why do we do it this way instead of that way?” is “Because we always have.”
Their response reminds me of my old high school English teacher who would lecture us on why the word ‘because’ is not a complete answer, and why she would not accept it as an answer on tests.
The reality of it is that they have become complacent and have accepted being mediocre. Mediocrity has become the new norm in the workplace and in life.
Dictionary.com defines the word mediocrity as: “of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate”
I can see how it has been accepted as the norm in workplaces. Why work harder, or do more than you have to? If so and so gets away with only doing this much, why should I do more or be better?
The reason is this; you are never going to find your ‘purpose’ or your ‘why’ if you do not rise above mediocrity.
Look around you. The majority of people that you would define as being extraordinary are just normal people who did not accept mediocrity as a norm and instead pushed themselves and their limits.
Be creative, try new ways of doing things. Don’t accept “Because we have always done it this way” as a reason for doing something. You may make mistakes along the way but that’s how ordinary people discover new ideas, find new ways of doing things, are innovative and become extraordinary.
Many people will keep doing things the way it has always been done. It’s safer that way. The results are predictable and it is more comfortable.
Doing what you’ve always done won’t give you the opportunity to show excellence. Become Extraordinary.
