THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

As a walked out of a movie theater today, and headed towards my car, I heard the familiar sound of a military aircraft. It so happens that “The Sun & Fun Fly-in” is being hosted by Lakeland Linder Airport this week, and is located near the theater.

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, and the U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet Demo Team are involved in this year’s air show, and as I was half way to my car, I saw it. A lone F-18 jet aircraft quickly filled up the sky in front of me, and just as quickly diminished in size as it sped away, and ‘set an azimuth’ for the far horizon. The noise which accompanied the Super Hornet was almost deafening.

And while I first witnessed the Thunderbirds in the early 70’s, when I did trash detail for their event at MacDill Air Force Base, and though I subsequently attended a U.S. Navy Blue Angels air show years later, I simply do not remember standing quite that close to something that fast, that loud, and that technologically impressive.

And it almost seemed to me that, if only for the slightest moment, I was transported to the front seat of that F-18, and lived vicariously through the skilled pilot behind its controls. I cannot begin to explain it, but it seemed the airman and his awe-inspiring machine almost competed for the joy they separately and jointly exuded.

I think the pursuit of excellence is a lot like that.

There is no shortage of velocity, and violence (in the most positive sense of the word) and utter joyfulness about transcending theory, and embracing the most amazing possibilities for one’s life.

I was talking to an exceptionally important person in my life recently, and I came out with a phrase:

"I do know that once you make the theory called 'potential' real, and begin the journey towards excellence, you never want to go back."

I think that believers, in particular, have a responsibility to reflect on such things, and have a sacred obligation to step across that proverbial fine line in the sand; which separates potential from the pursuit of excellence.

“I do know that once you make the theory called ‘potential’ real, and begin the journey towards excellence, you never want to go back.”

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 80, Copyright pending

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