I was out shopping with my family Sunday and my eyes caught of few of those wall placards which have some catchy sayings or well-known proverbs, like "I'm retired, stop asking me to do things." or "If at first you don't succeed, try the way your wife told you to do it." (I know some women who might be cheering at the last one right about now.) Anyways, one in particular really caught my eye:

Excellence is not a skill, it's an attitude.

This phrase really got me thinking, and I thought I would pose a question to my readers: what does this phrase mean to you? I find myself writing this, just as much to portray an idea, as I am to hold myself accountable to some ideology.

Excellence is not a skill

Looking back in history, I'm sure there are many great examples of people who have achieved some level of fame, because of what today's culture defines as excellence. What is excellence?  Well by definition, excellence is the fact or state of excelling; superiority; eminence. But I believe it is so much more than that. What does it take to achieve excellence? There are many skills in which you could achieve excellence, but that's exactly my point, excellence not the skill, but it can be achieved through a skill.

Excellence is an attitude

Of course, excellence can be looked at as a form of success, but it is my opinion that excellence is just as much an attitude as well. Probably the best way to describe the attitude of excellence would be the desire to do things completely right (not perfect, but correct to the best of your ability) the first time and not leaving certain things to be done later "when I get the time." Leaving things to be done "when I get the time" almost always means these things won't get done, because if they weren't important enough to do right the first time, then the likelihood of it being important enough to do later is greatly diminished.

What is your opinion?  What is excellence to you?