Why Be Great?

Have you ever thought of what it would take to make you "truly great" at what you do?

Look around you at your employees and co-workers and ask yourself whether or not any of them are "truly great" at what they do. No doubt some of them really excel at their jobs and at life, while others just seem to get by. What is it that separates those that excel from those that don't?

Is it education? Training? Commitment? Willingness to work extra hours?

Do those that excel posses better communication skills, or maybe those that excel also have better technical knowledge?

If you put these factors to the test, I think that you will be surprised by the answers. Because those that truly excel at anything have one key factor in common. Those that excel at anything are simply those that are most passionate about it.

With the Olympics just completed you saw world- class athletes competing with one another to see who was the best of the best. You saw hundreds of dedicated, passionate athletes whose skill levels are so high that the difference in their performances are measured in tenths or even hundredths of a second. The worst of these athletes still possess amazing skills and perform at levels far above those that most of us could ever even conceive.

Certainly the Olympic athletes have amazing talent, but they also work with an unprecedented dedication to perfect their skills. But for them, it's a labor of love because of the passion that they feel for their sport. They did not become great in a day; instead they have dedicated their lives to being great.

Are you great at what you do?

How much passion do you have for your job? Do you do your job because it's something that you love, or because you need the money to pay your bills. Do you work at something that you love, waking up each morning looking forward to another day of passion in your job? Or do you rise each morning and force yourself into the shower, into the office, and into a job that you would rather not do.

I'm not suggesting here that you should walk off your job and pursue a career as a wind-surfer. What I am suggesting is that each of us has things that we are good at and are passionate about. You will find it much easier to excel at something that you love doing and are passionate about. Passion for what you do will easily translate into better quality work, more productivity, increased income, and more personal happiness.

If you love working with people, then your job should reflect that and you should be in a position that allows you the opportunity to do what you do best. If you love working with the numbers and the details, then your job should reflect that as well. Most people don't take the time to think about what it is that they "want" to do, instead they focus on what they believe they "should" do based on someone else's view of what is right or wrong.

Think about what you enjoy doing. Not just hobbies, but what it is that brings you joy every day. And then focus your life and your job around those things that you enjoy the most. If you do that, you can be assured that you too, will excel at your job. If your job requires that you do things that you have little or no passion for, then your life and your work will reflect that lack of passion.

Dave Meyer (Coach Dave) is a Business and Leadership Coach who believes that "Great Teams Are Built On The Foundation Of Great Leadership. And Great Leadership Is Built On the Foundation of Great Trust."

With over 25 years of successful leadership experience, Coach Dave provides his clients with practical, time tested advice on how to build aand lead a team that produces consisnte, outstanding results.

Certified by the Coach Training Alliance, and the Institute For Motivational Living, Coach Dave is an expert in providing leaders with tools they need to succeed in life and in business.

---

No Problem!

Thanks to Walt Disney's "The Lion King", children the world over know the Swahili expression "Hakuna Matata". It means "No Problem" and we grown-ups should use it... Read More

A Teller Of Tales

Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 10, 2002I told my daughter I didn't think my daughter-in-law paid enough attention to her oldest son, 8.... Read More

Moneys Sad Lack of Intrinsic Value

A good number of my columns deal with finances and money-related issues. Obviously, these are issues we have to confront everyday. However, I have to try to... Read More

Re-Define Realistic: True Power Series

This is the eighth article in our "True Power" series. If you haven't been following the series, visit TheARTrepreneur.com to read the foundational material on beliefs before... Read More

Shame and Guilt: A World of Difference

Learning to distinguish between two powerful emotions - superficially very similar but in practice, very different - is essential not only for healthy self-esteem but for fulfilling... Read More

Consulting Your Soul

Recently I approached a traffic light where a man stood in shabby clothes with a three-legged dog by his side. As I waited for the light to... Read More

Rocking The Boat

I work in a factory, and we have supervisors who play favorites. They have about six girls who can do no wrong, and they have easier jobs... Read More

Duplicity

Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 26, 2004We've been married 20 years. In order to spice up our sex life we would occasionally share... Read More

Lessons about Life in an Unexpected Place

Did you ever receive a gift in an unexpected place?I did, when I went to McDonald's recently. My order was mistakenly placed as a Child's Happy Meal.... Read More

Accept Every Invitation

How often do you decline an invitation because you have something else you would rather do? Or you're not crazy about the person asking you to join?... Read More

Extreme Self Care

EXTREME is not a term usually connected to self-care. Self-care usually portrays a picture of gentleness, kindness, loving self or being nurturing. People don't consider it necessary... Read More

Inspiration, the Living Force

These moments of awareness are powerful motivators. They boost our spirit and expand our view of certain joys we don't have the chance to appreciate every day.... Read More

How To Turn Your Life Around FAST!

There is nothing more important than feeling good.Come again? Didn't I just tell you how bad everything is!When you feel good you raise your vibrations. You get... Read More

Boarded Windows

You know how images trigger emotions? You can see something that can leave you warm and fuzzy for hours or fill you with hope and wonder for... Read More

Realistic Living

" The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing... Read More

What Footsie Taught Us!

We have just inherited a rag, tag and bobtail of a dog called 'Footsie'. She was found three weeks ago wandering around outside a local restaurant for... Read More

Life lessons - An Inpirational Story

Ju was physically abused as a child. She lived with a mother who was diagnosed with post depression and a father who was a wife abuser.Her parent... Read More

It Wont Happen Again

Have you or do you know someone who has been abused or been involved in an abusive relationship? What is your definition of abuse? All of us... Read More

Safety ? Are You OK?

Safety is an interesting concept. When we think of safety we almost intuitively think of its opposite, danger. Some people say that "our thoughts create our reality."... Read More

?Back to CYA on a Mission?

Six former wards came back to the California Youth Authority (CYA) earlier this month. This time they volunteered to return. They were on a mission to deliver... Read More

Anamchara - Living From A Deep Place

I live in a beautiful place.This is the village of Dowra and the outlying town lands of Corrogue and Moneen. I have this early morning come to... Read More

A Faux Pas Is A Mistake In A Tuxedo

Everyone who is anybody has a hobby or at least entertains the idea. Hobbies range from sports to crafts to reading and even traveling. Some hobbies don't... Read More

The Nature of Anger

Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and Improve Every Relationship in Your Life by Kevin B. BurkMany of us have some very definite ideas about... Read More

Charge Your Imagination (3)

As we progress into the year, it is necessary for professionals to really put their Imagination to work as they plot strategies for business excellence this year.... Read More

On Track

Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 27, 2003I have been involved with a married man for a little while. I am married myself, but... Read More

One Woman, One Leg, No Job

What is social acceptance? Why is it so important? What can we do to overcome it? This inspirational story may change your attitude toward society and its... Read More