The Irony of Mediocrity

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‘We accept the love we think we deserve’

Do you think that's true?

What if we replace the word love with almost any other word?

Do we accept the respect we think we deserve?

Do we accept the salary we think we deserve?

Or, why do we accept the life that we don't think we deserve?

Something to think about, huh?

We can apply this to many areas of our lives.

Why don't we prefer mediocre products over better quality ones?

Why do more people see mindless movies instead of talented cinema?

Even with literature, shallow novels are bestsellers and they outsell deep literary works. And what about food? Beer, burgers, they are so satisfying to many of us.

Far more than a carrot or an apple, walnuts or a banana, salad or something.

Everywhere we see around us, where there is a choice between profound and shallow, we go with the shallow. Why?

Maybe because it's the popular thing to do, or it's familiar and socially accepted.

Like, many kids start smoking because it's easier to join the peer group and be part of the gang, even though it's an unhealthy habit.

What it boils down to is that mindless conformity is the stuff of much of our social life… mindless conformity!

Even a depressing habit or routine feels safer than the risk of change.

Risk is scary. This is why so many people settle in life…not because they aim for perfection, but because staying the same is easier than embracing the unknown.

Of course, the other reason is because we are scared to be alone.

So a crowd is better. A gang is better…we doubt whether we can be alone.

And now, technology has stepped in as a substitute for loneliness. It connects us, but at what cost?   We have paid the price with our dwindling levels of patience.

We want it NOW!

We haven't quite learned that things worth having take time, they take commitment, they take faith, which many of us don't want to exert.

The truth is that everything in life is a trade-off!

Let's also accept that we are all born with different talents, aptitudes, potential, just like we all have our strengths and our weaknesses. As I said earlier, in order to become say, a Roger Federer or a Mary Kom, we have to dedicate time and energy to it. And because we all have limited time and energy, few of us even become truly exceptional at more than one thing. So, the fact is that none of us can become star performers in all areas of life.

Wouldn't you agree?

Now, what does this tell us?

That the popular culture the world over is programming us into believing is that if we are not exceptional, we are nothing. Which, is a very insecure and desperate place to be.

We're all running around, chasing our tails, trying to be extraordinary and compensate for something. We don't even know what…trying to prove that we are unique in some manner.

In this crazy race, do we ever stop to think that if we are all extraordinary,

then no one would be unique? It's inherently contradictory, isn't it?

Like if there's always light, how would we know what it is unless there is a polarity of dark?

See, people don't want to be mediocre because deep down inside, they believe that they'll never achieve anything and will have to accept that they're failures. What they completely miss is that the people who become exceptional do so not because they believe that they are exceptional, but because they are obsessed with improvement.

So mediocrity is a place where people often get stuck and do not know how to escape. In order to move from here to there, one must think differently.

• Get rid of what hasn't worked.
• Connect with those that can give more direction.
• Design and plan for that action.
• And most importantly, put that plan in motion.

We need to accept that much as we all feel we deserve greatness, being average is not worthless, really. In fact, it's an opportunity to look within and find what we are truly interested in.

What makes us feel alive? Like a game of chess, for instance, or being part of a sporting team, appreciating a symphony or valuing sincere friendship, maybe.

Or creating something….creating something always works.

Something like, say, you know, puzzles, lego structures.

Or why not with something like helping someone in need?

And maybe giving laughter first place in your day. Did we ever think of that?

Now, doesn't that sound good?

Does it sound boring? They're not boring, these activities.

They're the stuff of life.

The average stuff of life.

And they are the things that truly matter.

Life is too short to miss these simple pleasures!

Cheers!

Until next time….

Ritu Malhotra

ritulifecoach@gmail.com

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