So many people strive to be better each and every day. Many hustle to make as much money as they can to build their financial wealth. We consider financial wealth to bring with it respect, recognition, attention, power, freedom, and dominance. Money helps to satisfy what many of us deeply desire, which is to be greater and above the rest. We want to outshine others. We want to be the winner in a race. We strive to be chosen for the promotion over others. We seek to satiate our appetite for alpha level in society. What is interesting about this goal is that we ignore the fact that we are thus dependent on the society in which we strive to excel. Whatever level society sets as the pillar of excellence is the target that we start to shoot for. We don’t ever seek to establish our own pillar of excellence because we are too wrapped up in comparing ourselves against the levels that society has established. What is your own unique pillar of excellence?
Society has currently established that financial wealth is the epitome of success. Those who have an abundance of money and assets are thought to be happy, free, and living the ultimate life that a human could possibly experience. However, there are many financially wealthy (aka successful) people who are miserable. They believed in this preset notion that was established by society, and they strived to hit that target and become financially wealthy so that they could finally live the superior life. Much to their amazement and disappointment they discovered that once they hit that target, they were not in a constant state of bliss. In fact, once we achieve a goal the euphoria of having done so passes within a rather short amount of time. At which point, we are left to look around us and try to establish a new target at which to aim and strive to hit.
That brings us back to the question of what is your own unique pillar of excellence? The one that is not dictated to you by your family, friends, nor society. The one that is unique to you. Although the thought of death is an uncomfortable truth, we should allow this pending reality to motivate us. Prior to taking our last breath, what is it that we absolutely wish to be able to say that we’ve experienced in this life? In addition, what have we given of ourselves to improve existence on Earth? Could your pillar of excellence be living to 150 years of age, pushing the bounds of human health and longevity? Could your pillar of excellence be stretching the beliefs and limitations currently in place? One example that comes to mind is Wim Hof, who is challenging people to reconnect the various aspects of themselves through breathwork, oxygenation, and cold exposure. He is being scientifically studied because he is pushing the bounds on current societal beliefs regarding our immune system. In what ways can you push the bounds of what is currently taken as societal truth, norm, and conformity? In what ways can you become a pioneer or a trailblazer? What an amazing life story and legacy for those who are bold enough to think and live “outside of the box”!
The message here is that society has evolved to establish current day beliefs, traditions, norms, and pillars of excellence. It is but a rare few who dare to question these bounds and limitations, and fewer yet who are bold enough to test “outside” of these limitations. The few who are willing to be considered weird, abnormal, etc. and don’t care about others’ random opinions and judgments are those who break free of societal established confines. Society has created a type of jail cell in which it lives and thrives, but this cell is merely an illusion. We are free to try other ways of living and doing things that are well outside of the usual. There truly is no need to conform and color between the lines. It is when we are courageous enough to establish our own unique pillars of excellence that we are able to advance ourselves and society. There have been several key examples of people bold enough to live in their authentic truth, who have truly helped crack, shatter, and crumble old limiting societal norms and expectations. These individuals helped to tear down the old and pave the way to build something new and improved. Whether that was a new perspective on thinking about something, like the planets revolving around the sun instead of the sun revolving around the planets. Maybe we help push the bounds on science and medicine, no longer looking for treatments but instead looking for the root cause to discover actual cures. Let’s advance ourselves not only in technology, but in energy, atmosphere, soil composition, and a plethora of other aspects vital for life on earth.
If we continue to play by the rules established by society and strive only to reach the highest levels imagined by current societal pillars, then we will miss reaching the summit. When society has us aiming for the middle of the mountain, we miss reaching its peak and all of the glory that comes with that. You are encouraged to ponder what your own personal pillar of excellence is and to strive to take bold action toward the summit in your own life.