Relatively excellent

We get used to our surroundings and the way they are. The weather, the pace of life, the traffic, the quality of coffee and our broadband speed. Your version of “normal” develops over time from your own experience of the circumstances around you.

We compare other things to our perceived version of normal. A daytime temperature of 28 degrees Celsius is relatively normal to me, but may seem cool or warm for people from other places. Cold or hot are not simply defined by measuring temperature.

So it is with the climate of excellence around you. If you surround yourself with talent, energy and integrity, you’re more likely to look up, be challenged and rise and meet the standards set by those nearby.

The alternative is to be surrounded (accidentally or by design) by mediocrity. An environment of compromise, just missing goals, bending the rules and taking short-cuts gives you less to look up to.

What are you surrounding yourself with? More of the same, or people, examples and situations that help elevate your perception of normal over time? What are the sources for opinions, ideas and energy that could challenge your status quo and give you reasons to look even higher?

When the people, blogs and podcasts you surround yourself with are reinforcing what you already do rather than challenging your status quo, you could easily feel “relatively excellent” in those surroundings. But excellent relative to what?

Maybe there’s nothing wrong with your surroundings today. The problem is, what was relatively okay in the past, soon won’t be good enough.