Being average- good or bad?
“Average performers stop when they feel fear.
Iconic performers accelerate when they get frightened.” Robin Sharma
Do you know that you can have a better life? or have you willingly decided to settle for less?
It’s normal to want to be average, to stay in the comfort zone. According to Inc.com, only about 8 percent of people achieve their goals. Most people are satisfied with their job and their life. They say things like, ‘making or having more money has no end to it”, “the more you have the more you will want”. I mean they know that they can achieve more but decide not to pursue more. That can be a good thing, I mean not wanting money because of possible greediness. But as far as greediness is concerned, we all know some greedy rich people and also some greedy poor people. It is the person’s state of mind and not the having of anything.
We all value and want to have things like money, power, and relationships. It is not any one of those things that make a person better or worse. It is the nature or character of the person before they get those things. You see, when a good-natured person gets more money, he or she becomes a better person. And they spend wisely and give more. Similarly, when a good-natured person gets power, they become a better person and serve others better. When a good-natured person gets into a relationship with a better person they become a better person, they raise their level of goodness naturally. When we get more of any of those things; money, power, relationship, we become more of who we already are.
You can see it all around you. People get corrupted or worse because they have either failed to see or correct their own flaws. Them getting more of anything only amplifies their inherent motives and secret wishes. We all have flaws and imperfections and vanity to some degree. The key is to be aware of our flaws and take measures to correct them. It is plain to see that it is illogical to blame others for our own failure.
It could be wisdom or it could be complacency. I mean the same people are behaving and reacting like average persons, having an average ego, are of controlling nature, using borrowed strength (all in an average moderation). It only indicates that it is not through wisdom that they decide not to want more or have more. It is due to laziness and playing it safe and having a fixed mindset of life. they believe that there is only so much that one can achieve or that ‘the genes determine our fate’.
Don’t you think if ever there was ‘an end to it’, that we, as a species, would not have what we have today? I mean all the technologies that we now take for granted like vehicles and televisions and the light bulb. Let us not forget that these things have dramatically improved. From big, chunky TVs to flat screens with much clearer displays, from slow-moving vehicles to supercars, from the energy-draining and odd-looking incandescent bulb to the energy-efficient and much brighter LED bulbs, the list goes on. If there was an end to improvement and expansion, we would not be enjoying the very things that we enjoy today.
Before new inventions were made, before anything became popular and indispensable like vehicles and phones, the general population of the time were ok with their lives and did not see any need for these inventions. But visionaries and thinkers, innovators and reformers of those times saw the need for improvements and change. They saw the possibilities and worked tirelessly till that dream or goal becomes a reality. People have always wanted more and better things that are more convenient and economical. Inventions happens every day of one kind or another. This is all because of the indomitable spirit of human beings that have surpassed all odds and obstacles.
“People love you when you’re average because it makes them comfortable.” Anonymous
Genuinely wise people know they can be more and have more but they consciously choose not to crave for more. Because they know that it can go out of control, or, having more is not aligned to their values. And their behaviour shows that they understand it inside out by their examples of genuine kindness, humility, respect for everyone and having a positive outlook on life in general. Those are the healers, and they are playing a big part in our lives. They don’t discourage others. They are the enlightened ones. But don’t you think they are also the ones who want more peace, more tolerance, more love. Are they not the ones who above average also in reality? In other words, they are the achievers, because it takes tremendous courage to be kind, loving, tolerant and helpful.
But complacency is a different story altogether. Complacent people don’t know what their own talents or potentials are, and if they know, they don’t bother to develop them to the maximum potential. Such persons resolve to dismiss any mentioning of success or a desire for more improvement. When they see others succeed they usually resort to judgment because they themselves have a belief that rich or successful people got ‘lucky’ or that they have ‘connections’. They fail to see those successful people actually have visions of their future and work hard and constantly take steps learning their craft to improve their life and career.
“It is so easy to be average. it takes a little something to be special. Why be around average?” Urban Meyer
There are creators and there are those who enjoy the creations of others without creating anything of sorts without providing value to the world. There are those who strive to make this world better than they found it and there are those who are born, exist, observe and die without any contribution even though they had the capacity. It is just sad. Even people with disabilities make meaningful contributions. Those are inspiring to know and to watch. We all should strive to create and to inspire others by whatever capacity that we have, to be better, to improve our surroundings.
We live and enjoy the creations of others like architects, musicians, engineers, and even other seemingly small creations like artifacts, handicrafts, or the services of a plumber, carpenter, driver, waiter, delivery man, and at the same time, we create our masterpieces according to our talents and natural preferences, which could also be in the form of genuine care and kindness, by being peacemakers, being honest (which saves everyone’s time). The key is not to compare our products and services to others but constantly try to improve our own. But we should always try to provide value to others.
Stop being average. You are not even good. You were born to be great! – Eric Thomas