There is much discussion about the quest for and the value of excellence in living the different parts of our lives; for example, in school, play, sports, health, the performing arts, parenting, teaching, leadership, business and the workplace. We can learn much from the experiences of great performers and great people.

There are some acts of greatness and exemplary lives that so inspire the general population that there is almost unanimous accord about their heroic stature. One of the traits admired by the people of nations with a history of "frontier" is that of endurance—a quality which still reminds us of the basic struggle with nature and unknown perils. Throughout history, individuals have stood out for their bravery, firmness, or greatness of soul in connection with whatever they have done.

Notable heroes have also emerged from the ranks of those who have been trailblazers and pioneers in a particular field of endeavor. In some cases, individuals have had to achieve international recognition before people in their own country would acknowledge them. Sports figures have long been universally admired in popular culture, where often we are reluctant to idolize the achievers, but our adulation has often been fickle and short-lived.

The light generated by most sports stars shines brightly but briefly. Yesterday's athletic heroes can be quickly forgotten along with the sports that made them famous. Others continue to be remembered. For instance, the feats of Louis Cyr, a Quebec strongman, are still recounted today. Late in the nineteenth century, Louis Cyr, the "Amazing Canadian," was a person who never backed down from a challenge and was undefeated in feats of strength. He remains a legend to this day.

The legend began in his teens when Cyr, who inherited his strength from his mother, allegedly pulled a loaded farm wagon out of the mud by lifting it on his back. In 1895, he again used his back to lift 4,337 pounds, perhaps his greatest feat.

Cyr's fame was earned before accurate records were kept, and before weight lifting was included among Olympic events. In any event, Cyr's record remains uncontested and incontestable.¹

Defeat weighs heavily when a goal one nearly attained suddenly slips beyond one's grip. Perhaps athletes know this better than others.

Clifton Cushman was one of America's promising athletes who set records in high school that still stand after more than 40 years. At the 1960 Olympic Games, he won the silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles and seemed assured of a gold medal in the next games. During the American Trials for the 1964 Olympics, however, he tripped over a hurdle and was eliminated. In response to messages of condolence, he wrote an open letter to the youth of his hometown in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

In this letter, Cushman wrote, "In a split second all the many years of training, pain, sweat, blisters, and agony of running were simply and irrevocably wiped out. But I tried. I would much rather fail knowing I had put forth an honest effort than never to have tried at all."

Cushman never got the chance to make another attempt at his Olympic goal. In 1966, he was listed as missing in action in Vietnam and then in 1975 the U.S. Department of Defense officially declared him as presumed killed in action.²

It is acknowledged that not everyone is capable of great feats of strength or has the ability of making an Olympic team, but as individuals there is nothing preventing us from trying to make our own "Olympic team," whether it be in sports, in our education, at our job, or in whatever else we may pursue. Some individuals may never have known the satisfaction of doing their best in sports, the joy of excelling in class, or the wonderful feeling of completing a hard job and looking back on it knowing that they did their very best.

Few endeavors warrant more respect than the pursuit of excellence. Each of us should have goals to which we aspire. What makes a lofty goal for one, however, might provide no challenge for another. In a conversation recently overheard in a class dominated by adult women, one woman revealed that her goal was to run a marathon. Another responded that she just wanted to be able to run around the block. Class members laughed, but the message was clear: two individuals, two different goals.

Some people make little effort to raise their sights, to focus on a difficult-to-reach goal and pursue it. Knowing perhaps that few are able to achieve difficult goals, some elect never to make the attempt at all. They guarantee that they won't be faced with the embarrassment of failure by not making any attempt for success.

Many (perhaps most) people fear challenges and problems. But facing challenges—even if we don't always meet them—often leads to our greatest growth. Difficulties or even failures in reaching certain goals frequently lead us to opportunities that we might have missed in more successful circumstances. The old adage that "necessity is the mother of invention" seems to apply.

If we take advantage of opportunities as they arise, we will most likely discover that we have grown. At that point, we can see the progress we have made and, with confidence, successfully move on to greater accomplishments. Growth and strength come as we face—and wrestle with—challenges. Avoiding them makes us weaker. Life is not about avoiding challenges, but rather what we do to overcome them. If we regularly face up to challenges and problems, view them as opportunities, and do our very best to overcome obstacles, the process becomes easier and more natural. If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you get it more often.

Whatever role you play within your own facilities management organization, you should not fear or shun challenges. Your best opportunities for your own personal growth and pursuit of excellence may come from facing problems head-on and satisfactorily resolving them. Aristotle the Greek philosopher (384-322 BC) maintained that excellence is an act won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those qualities because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but rather a habit.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is sometimes no more than that little bit of extra effort. Go for it!

^1. Ben Weider, The Strongest Man in History: Louis Cyr, 1976, p. 94
^2. Viewpoint, Church News, August 1998, p. 14