7. Exceptional

Are we not all dream and desire to do or produce something exceptional, something particular, which sets us and our lives apart from the masses, be it in sport, art, science, ...

If we look at such exceptional achievements more closely, we can identify several constituents, not all of which have to be present for a particular achievement though, for example:
- individual talent
- believing in what we are doing
- commitment
- hard work
- discipline
- patience
- timing
- opportunity, i.e. being at right place at the right time,
...

If something turns out to be exceptional depends indeed on the circumstances, time and place. Many exceptional achievements of the past appear today as mainstream.

However, we at least dreamt once of reaching out, being recognised for our achievements, finding our satisfaction in achieving something particular.  And we set sail, we took off.  We achieved, not truly exceptional in our own eyes maybe, but truly recognised as such from our peers. Our ambition nevertheless pushes us further and we surely could achieve more.

But our rate of achievement slows. Not because we can't.

Maybe we're already there but can't realise it? During the years of our success we continuously raised our own criteria for achievement. But meanwhile we also learned that someone believing in continuous growth is either an economist or an idiot.

The road of life is generally not a continuous way up hill, to ever higher peaks. If we are lucky and stay healthy, even then we at a certain time of our lives may realise that life can be fulfilling also by joining the paths of others, to walk this life-way together with peers and share our achievements. We ask ourselves: 'to what extend is our constant strive of being exceptional in line with being a constructive member of a community.' Very often continued strive for individual excellence results in solitarity and loneliness, What does one of our acquaintances write as a motto: 'if you want to go fast, go alone, if you wish to go far, go together'

Without discounting the strive to be particular we at a certain time of our lives need to answer these questions.  And maybe we are able to find that life is worthwhile without the sparkling and ever shorter success moments of reaching a peak, but by recognising all the beauty along our way, which we tend to overlook by racing to the next peak/challenge. Could we learn to  focus on community progress instead of solitary achievements?

At the beginning there was the joy and happiness,
then our life became duty and obligation,
only with time we realise,
that the perceived impasse of acquittal
offers an alternative way to rejoice,
performing ones duty can also make a person happy.
(partly from me, partly proverb)

Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not promoting acquiescence here, but rather question the continuous individual strive of farther, higher, faster, better ... development and progress is a striking characteristic of human societies, but that does not imply that each member of this society has to achieve the same excellence all the time. We make our contribution and then the next generation is set to continue.  Now it becomes our task to support them to excel in what they wish to achieve and share their happiness resulting from success or comfort their frustration in case of failure.

With Sincere Love