Just Say NO to Mediocrity
March 25th, 2007 | Michael Pink
“For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) I believe our mind is the receiver that takes in information. Our heart is the processor and after we have processed our intake, whatever is dominating our thinking will dominate our processing - therefore dominating our words and thus shaping our destiny.
Thoughts filter down through the heart and produce feelings of joy, anxiety, anticipation, depression, doubt, faith and many other things. I have come to realize lately that much of our thought life is neither consumed with negative and bad things nor filled with positive and good things. The majority of our thought life seems to be filled with the busy or trivial, but necessary, tasks at hand. When we spend all of our time thinking on the busy stuff that comes at us each day, we tend to neither reach for the stars nor fall to the depths. We just get by.
I was not called to “just get by” nor am I content to accept that. Neither were you. Mediocrity is not for the Christian and the way out has much to do with what we think about. Try this: Carve out an hour of your day and fill your mind with thoughts that lead to greatness - thoughts of excellence, goodness and virtue. This may include reading the Scripture, but doesn’t replace that time. Make an appointment with yourself and give yourself permission to flood your mind with good expectations and dream great dreams. Read that inspiring book. Take a walk in the woods and commune with the Father. As you fill your mind, your heart will be engaged and wonders will proceed from your life!
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March 26th, 2007 at 6:09 am
It IS True! The Mind justifies what the heart has chosen.Just like we were told in school “you are what you eat’ and the body responds according what “fuel’ is put into it so we must with our mind and that comes from who controls our hearts.
March 26th, 2007 at 8:39 am
I have started a “walk with God” every morning to get the necessary exercise i needbut also to ‘commune with the Spirit”. It seems to be working for me as i m noticing a calmer spirit. Hope this helps to encourage others….BC
March 26th, 2007 at 9:28 am
I love the thought of not accepting medicracy as the standard. I started my company a couple of months ago and, of course, things are off to a slow start. I think I started getting a little blue and worried at the end of the week. I spent some time trying to figure out what happened…then I realized that I had not been pumping myself full of the positive energy mentioned in the article. I took the time to do it…through the weekend. I looked back at how the Lord had worked and provided in my life…today, I am back on board and ready to face my giants. I give GOD all the glory. - Rick
March 26th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Thank you for today’s post! I had just had a discussion with one of my employees on excellence vs mediocrity. I’m printing this and giving it to him today.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Thanks, Michael, for the thoughtful words. I just read the book of Nehemiah and how God used Him to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. If he had mediocre thoughts the job would never have been accomplished.
March 26th, 2007 at 10:40 am
Good post Michael. Another way to make this soar is to pray the scriptures out load. Start with a Psalm, read a section and pray it back personalizing it to your situation. This is great out on a walk, in your den or wherever…(except driving)
March 26th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Being open and or aware of the mystery of God can be found at every second of the day. I try to take 30 second breaks every so often throughout the day which includes a deep breath of fresh air. This enables me to have the revitalization that we all need with our busy schedules.
Thanks Michael for the reminder!
March 26th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Today’s post reminds me of the 3 legged dog I once saw.
Everything he does, the way he moves, walks and goes about his dog life, all center around how he lives with the loss of a limb, but doesn’t use it to hold him back.
As I watched him, I asked myself, “What does the Father want me to see?”
The first thing I noticed was that he does not favor that side of his body, the left rear. The side that is no longer in use.
This canine has chosen to focus on strengthening the other three legs, to continue being mobile.
The second thing I noticed was that he has mastered this feat so well that, when you watch him walk, you cannot tell he lost a limb, unless you are standing behind him.
His backside just pops up a little bit, to allow the right rear leg to hop forward. Other than that, you cannot tell this dog lives with a handicap.
Finally, I found myself inspired by this 3 legged dog’s tenacity to not let his loss keep him from what he was created to be and do. From all appearance he was a happy and healthy dog, that roams around like any other dog but with only three legs.
For me it’s not just a matter of saying “no”, mediocrity can simply have no place in my life.
Woody Quinones
The Promotional Guy
March 26th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
This was just what I needed today…I was doing a class with inner city eighth grade students and one of the instructors commented we needed to “put things down on their level”. This was not coming from the vantage point of relating and meeting them where they are but from the vantage point of watering down the concepts. For far too long, too many things have been watered down for our youth, especially African American youth where “good enough” is okay. Where we don’t challenge them to come out of their comfort zones and stive for excellence. I used the word, “contemporary” as it relates to two people being peers, and the kids did not understand the word. Great! You know what they did do, they asked the question, “what does it mean?” Well, they got the chance to learn a new word for the day and increase their vocabulary. Now had I said, they were homies, dogs or homeboys, they would have perfectly understood what I was saying.
Certain words I refuse to use since death and life are in the power of the tongue and we use far too many “slang” terms. I will still stand and strive to stay away from mediocrity.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Karen,
It’s everywhere. Not just in the inner city and not just with black children. You would be shocked how the children of migrant workers are educated, especially when 99% of them cannot even speak English.
Sadly, society has perpetuated this thought that every child should just get by and stay with the pack mentality. It goes across every race line there is.
One place I believe teachers should start is by looking at the children merely as students. 1st grade students, 5th grade students, 8th grade students.
Then when these students enter high school go back to using the terms Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior, and eliminate the use of “9th graders”, “10th graders”, “11th graders”, & “12th graders”.
The former terms are stated places of accomplishment in school, the latter terms are not. Part of striving for excellence is measuring what one has done.
Also eliminate the name tags that are placed on children because of where they are from, where they live, or what they have such as, “Inner City Child”, “Migrant Child”, “Handicapped Child”, & etc…
The Father only refers to them as “children”, “little ones” or “child”. Anything more than that is a slant on the person and brands them as such.
Teachers have children from Kindergarten to Graduation. They have the majority of the day to start educating up, but just as important is addressing children in a manner that allows them to begin seeing themselves as accomplished.
Woody Quinones
The Promotional Guy
March 26th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Idenitity is powerful.
Idenity in Jesus Christ.
Do not be mediocre in your idenity.
In HIM you are so much.
Prince
Heir
Blessed
Adopted
Blameless
and the list goes on and on.
In Him you are not
White
Black
Male
Female
Baptist
Methodist
Rich
Poor
Identity, do not be mediocre.
March 27th, 2007 at 2:53 am
Great post, Mike. It was refreshing to me. I am more convinced that as we practice the word of GOd in the area of thoughts, every waking day of our lives will count in making us excellent or outstanding in every endeavour of life.
March 27th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Thank YOU Father! YOU are the beautiful ONE! YOU deliver us from the mediocrity of our finite minds, into the INFINITENESS of YOUR space and grace! HalleluYAH! Turn my mind (thoughts), and heart to YOU today.
March 28th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I recommend Os Hillman’s “The Upside of Adversity”. It is written by someone who has been there.
Bless you