Mediocrity...
“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
~Albert Einstein
Don’t conform to the status quo, the limitations, or limited mindsets of others. There is so much more to you than mediocrity. Mediocrity is designed to make you fit into a mold that is not conducive to you and what you’ve been called to do. It’s designed to make you conform to the status quo and become something you're not. It will require you to duplicate the actions of others to become a clone….YOU ARE NOT A CLONE!! You're an original. You've been designed to stand out and do something
extraordinarily great.
Mediocrity will put you in a box and require you to lower your standards and compromise. It feeds into your desire and need to be liked… to fit in. Mediocrity will tell you if only you do ‘this’ and ‘that’ you'll get what you want, but it doesn't tell you at what cost. Ultimately, mediocrity is designed to make you forfeit your unique contribution… the unique contribution that says...
I AM HERE!!!
It’s not easy taking a stand against mediocrity. It is very difficult and rare to take a stand to fight to be everything God created you to be. Many will never understand you and wonder why you’re so passionate about your destiny and purpose.
Let me share a situation with you…..
When I began what is known to many as praise dancing. I remember the passion and zeal I had when I first began. Everything I had within me would go into each movement. I wanted to lavish all my love upon the father and I did that when I praise danced. I remember one engagement where we (the group) were required to do a leap with a turn and I did just that. When it was all said and done, we as a group had a meeting and it was stated I overdo stuff…. I leaped to high… I danced too hard… I put too much into stuff and purposely made others look bad. I felt condemnation because I was accused of doing something I knew I was not doing. I was only passionately dancing before my father. It was my way of thanking him for all that he had done for me. Needless to say, the situation was design to make me fit into a mold that they orchestrated for me. I was supposed to conform to the way they did things, but I knew in my heart I wasn't called to do that. I got tired of defending myself to people who were already set in their way of thinking toward me. I realized no matter what I did, someone had something negative to say. It was then, I decided to go after my destiny and chase after it hard. No matter what people said, all that mattered to me was knowing I gave my all and did everything required of me.
Over the years, I’ve encountered that same mediocre mindset, that mindset designed to make me fit into a mold they believed I should reside in. Just recently, I was attacked concerning my work ethic. I was asked, why do you work out so much? You're already skinny, so why do eat the way you do? Why do you do this and that? My thoughts were, why are people so concerned about what I’m doing? I'm tending to me…. MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS. I’m doing what is required of me nothing more and nothing less and I’m not doing anything to anyone. But then I thought, maybe I am doing something… Just maybe, who I am and what I do highlight the lack of effort others know they should be doing. That’s why, what I do offends them so. So many want extraordinary but don’t want to put forth the work to achieve extraordinary. I finally understood what offend others about me, really had nothing to do with me, but rather had everything to do with them. Recognizing and understanding this helped me to not get distracted or offended by such tactics and patterns of mediocrity. I’ve learned to no longer second guess myself or what I know God said concerning me.
To go a little further, I’ve also encounter statements like these: You are such an over achiever, you do entirely too much, and it doesn’t take all that. Sounds familiar??
...As individuals, we all have a specific purpose and assignment that we’ve be designed to carry out. Not one has the same assignment as another. It may not take all that for others, but maybe it does take all that for you. I know for me, I will continue to go beyond the call of duty in everything I’ve been called to do. What I do, I do unto God not unto people. I had to learn the hard way; It’s not about people liking or loving me, but about others knowing the God I serve….The God who never left me during the dirtiest time of my life... The God who first loved me when I didn’t even love myself. That same God who did all that for me can do all that and more for others. That’s what it’s about for me. Those who are called to be part of my life will have a very similar work ethic and will understand my heart’s desire. They will encourage, support, and challenge me to grow and not attempt to stagnate me; requiring me to conform to a lower level of thinking…. A lower level of being. And the same goes for you… Those called to be in your life will not attack you, but rather encourage, support, and challenge you to grow; propelling you to your destiny not away from it.
Today, I encourage you. I encourage you to stand against mediocrity. Don't allow mediocre mindsets distract you from what you know you should be doing. Don't lower yourself to make others feel better about themselves. Continue the course... In the end, you are held accountable for you and all that you do. THE DREAM IS YOURS and you know what's required of you to accomplish such dream. Please don't do something only because it’s the thing to do… It’s whats popular right now. Don't settle for mediocrity. Understand that what you settle for will require much of you and in the end leave you with great devastation.
DON’T SURRENDER YOUR DREAM FOR SURRIVAL!!!
Dare to live courageously… Live authentically who God created you be.
You are rare… you are irreplaceable… you are valuable.
You are uniquely designed to do something great. That which you have been designed to do will require great sacrifice, discipline, dedication, and consistency.
Be mindful of the tactics… Watch the patterns….
Understand, it's not about you, but that which you carry inside of you.
People may say this and that about you, but they cannot hinder your
drive and passion to achieve that which you been working so hard for.
Only you can do that.
Stand strong and go after your destiny…
Go after what you’ve been purposed for. Keep going….
Move FORWARD!!
xoxoxoxo,
Dr. Dyoni
