Striving for Excellence in All that We Do

Striving for excellence in all that we do, cultivates self-esteem.

Truly successful people always give their all to everything that they do. They derive their self-esteem from a sense of competency and care. They don't do things with little or only partial effort. They'll just choose to not do it all.

And if you think about it, this is the kind of self-esteem that is self-generated. Meaning, it's not dependent on external factors. For example, it's not something that can be taken away from us by someone. Or even given to us by someone. It's all about how WE choose to show up in the things we do.

So successful people are CONSCIOUS about where they commit and invest their time and energy. Because what they do or what they create - becomes a reflection of them. So in a way, they can't feel good about themselves if they're just putting in enough effort to get by. Because they know they're not giving 100%.

Because of this, successful people are self-motivated. It matters to them that they show up with competency and care towards everything they do or create. Whether it's something simple like brushing their teeth - to an artist, creating their next masterpiece. They take pride in the doing itself. They will give their absolute best. It's not about money or fame, for example. They'll intrinsically show up with excellence - whether or not they are rewarded externally.

That is, IF they decide to commit to doing something in the first place. It is through this process that successful people develop their self-esteem and feel fulfilled and energized.

Now, some of you might be thinking that our self-esteem should have NOTHING to do with what we do or create. And that we just want to be loved for who we are and not what we do. That our sense of self-worth, shouldn't be tied to our performance in any way.

And so, if this is you, I would encourage you to ask yourself, why the idea of fully putting 100% of yourself into the things you do, into the things you say yes to - bother you?

I know for a lot of people, it's because they're not actually doing what they want to be doing. So of course it's going to be hard to find the motivation to show up with competency and care to do things that they don't even want to be doing in the first place.

And for some, the idea of committing and giving their all to something is scary because what happens if they give 100% of their care and their effort into something…and then fail? They fear the devastation of falling short of the expectations they have for themselves. Or even the expectations of others. But the point is, if they give 100% and then fail, it forces them to face their sense of inadequacy or worthlessness. So it feels much safer to just not commit. To not give 100% because then in their minds, they can still tell themselves, "Well, if I had REALLY wanted to, I could have." But ultimately this lack of commitment just erodes at their self-esteem.

And lastly, some people just believe nothing in life ever works out for them. So fully committing to things and putting in 100% effort - just feels like a waste of time. It's like adding insult to injury. Again, it feels much safer to just not have to face disappointment by not truly trying.

And so, if you feel like you're not putting 100% into everything you say YES to in life, I encourage you to explore why that might be. Because if you're not taking pride in all that you do. If you're not striving for excellence and showing up to things with competency and care, it's actually preventing you from cultivating self-esteem and having a sense of personal success and fulfillment. So it's really important to examine this.

Many people don't even fully commit to the things they CARE about in life. And perhaps even more people commit to some things, but do the minimum to just get by in others. It's so important to be fully committed to doing everything in life well. Just as I tell my students how we are able to show up for our practice reflects how we are able to show up in life - how fully we show up for one thing in life reflects our capacity for how fully we are able to show up for other things in life. And so, when we commit to giving 100% into everything we do, we become someone that can do ANYTHING well.

I believe we are all powerful manifestors. And so, when we do things just well enough to get by, that is what we will attract into our lives. We'll attract a job that's just adequate. We'll attract physical health that's just adequate. We'll attract relationships that are just adequate. We immediately cut ourselves off from the possibility of an abundant life. One that is "just adequate."

And as Yoda said, "Do or do not. There is no try." Either commit all of your energy into something. Or don't. But don't half-ass things. There is no "trying." Trying is just a way to give yourself an out, so that you don't have to face the possibility of failing. It's just an excuse.

So if you're looking to cultivate self-esteem, you have to strive for excellence in everything that you do. Whether it's something small like brushing your teeth or doing the dishes. To things you don't even feel like doing in the moment but have committed yourself to. Either take pride in doing these things well, or choose to not do them at all. It's much better for your self-esteem and sense of personal success if you say no to doing something, than to do it with minimal effort or care…just to get by.

Remember, if you fully commit your energy towards something, it's impossible not to grow and progress in whatever it is you're putting that 100% effort into. Whether it's a relationship, or your business or your health. And if you do that with everything in your life that you say YES to, everything that you do or create, I believe you will live a truly energized and fulfilling life.