Today is a national holiday in the United States which commemorates the life of civil rights leader (Martin Luther King, Jr.) who sought to bring “equality under law” to all citizens of our country. One of the ways he sought to do this was by bringing dignity and equality to ALL work – not just for the well educated or the well paid – but for all who work their best and make our nation a better society for it. The pursuit of excellence (“doing your best”) in any endeavor uplifts us all. The following are two quotes expressing this idea: | |
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. | |
— Martin Luther King, Jr. | |
If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well. | |
— Martin Luther King, Jr. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | What Do You See? |
2021 | Lite It Up |
Some Day | |
2020 | No Answers Yet |
120 Day Health / Weight Update (Jan 2020) | |
2019 | Stationary Target |
2018 | And Firmly |
2017 | Nearer My Goal To Thee |
2016 | Relatively Simple Actions |
2015 | And Yet, You Did |
2014 | Difficult Learning |
2013 | Four Things To do |
2012 | When I Was Young… |
Emergence | |
Posts Tagged ‘Excellence’
Two Thoughts For The Holiday
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Beethoven, Dignity, Excellence, Labor, Martin Luther King Jr, Michelangelo, Philosophy, Quotes, Shakespeare, Work on January 16, 2023| 2 Comments »
A Very Few
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Excellence, Greatness, John W. Gardner, Philosophy, Quotes on June 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. | |
— John W. Gardner | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Or Blog Every Day |
Every Woman Should Have One | |
2020 | Where Are We Going? |
2019 | One Before I Go |
2018 | And Blog Posts, Too |
2017 | Just Doin’ It |
2016 | Definitely Not Bell Shaped |
2015 | Dreadful Pity |
2014 | Worse Than Useless |
2013 | Personal Prisons |
2012 | So, Not Yet Then |
2011 | Real Love |
Become Daily
Posted in Career, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Excellence, Philosophy, Quotes, Ripples, Robin S. Sharma, Success, Tsunami on November 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Daily ripples of excellence over time become a tsunami of success. | |
— Robin S. Sharma | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Become Daily |
Just Pickin’ | |
2020 | So, You Think You Know The Answer? |
The One You Come Running To | |
2019 | His Promises, OUR Hopes |
2018 | Where I Write |
2017 | At Last, An Honest Philosopher… |
2016 | Fake It ‘Til You Make It |
2015 | Hell Toupée |
2014 | Corrected And Amended |
2013 | Too Few |
2012 | Three Characters |
2011 | Universal Payment |
2010 | Privatizing the TSA? (An old – and long – post, but still relevant!!) |
Working On The Ordinary
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Excellence, John W. Gardner, Ordinary, Philosophy, Quotes on January 27, 2021| 2 Comments »
Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. | |
— John W. Gardner | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | Are You Confused? |
2021 | Working On The Ordinary |
Smoothed My Jagged Edges | |
2020 | Republican Senators Should Vote For Conviction Of #45 |
2019 | Carry It |
2018 | Simple |
2017 | Knowledge Pays |
2016 | Brief Glimpses And Full Glances |
2015 | Pursuing Perspective |
2014 | Wearing Down? |
2013 | Labouring Under A Curse |
2012 | Listen To Yourself |
2011 | Career Tips (Part 1) |
No Captain Dunsel | |
Whoever / Whatever
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Excellence, John W. Gardner, Philosophy, Quotes on March 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Whoever I am, or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach. | |
— John W. Gardner | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | One World (Our Only Place)… |
2021 | Move The Heart |
Join Hands | |
2020 | He Broke Even |
Whoever / Whatever | |
2019 | The Right Anger |
Another P&P Review | |
2018 | Does Fatalism Equal Mental Health? |
2017 | Choice |
2016 | Growing Worlds |
2015 | Change The Tide |
Martyr, n. | |
2014 | You, Too! |
2013 | Bitter Stand |
2012 | Lost For Words |
2011 | On Market Reactions… |
Implications
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Excellence, John W. Gardner, Mediocrity, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Standards on January 12, 2020| Leave a Comment »
The idea for which this nation stands will not survive if the highest goal free man can set themselves is an amiable mediocrity. Excellence implies striving for the highest standards in every phase of life. | |
— John W. Gardner | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | No Ulterior Motive |
2021 | A Soul Passing |
I Hear You Singing In The Wire | |
Thank You, Georgia! | |
2020 | Implications |
2019 | Just To… |
2018 | Still Going… |
2017 | Great Risk |
2016 | Robbery |
2015 | Humanity Plus |
2014 | Dinner For Two? |
2013 | Exercise For Those Over 50 |
2012 | Tearful Joy!! |
Except When He’s Left | |
Two Guides
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Excellence, Philosophy, Pleasure, Principles, Quotes, Socrates on March 2, 2019| Leave a Comment »
In every one of us there are two ruling and directing principles, whose guidance we follow wherever they may lead; the one being an innate desire of pleasure; the other, an acquired judgment which aspires after excellence. | |
― Socrates | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | A Wonderful Tension |
2021 | Little And Large Choices |
I Got Something To Say | |
Alternate Reality | |
2020 | When? |
2019 | Two Guides |
2018 | A Call For You |
2017 | Because I Read |
2016 | On What Matters… |
2015 | Social Security |
2014 | Bewitching |
2013 | Visiting Joy |
2012 | Dedication To Today |
2011 | Project Second Chance – Adult Literacy |
Turning Coal Into Diamonds | |
Too Significant
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Dignity, Excellence, Importance, Labor, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Philosophy, Quotes, Work on October 31, 2018| 1 Comment »
Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. | |
― Mahatma Gandhi | |
No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. | |
― Martin Luther King Jr. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Why I Play The Lottery |
C’mon And Dream Along | |
2020 | #45 In A Nutshell |
Old Man Wishin’… | |
2019 | Three Down, Three To Go |
2018 | Too Significant |
2017 | Shadows |
2016 | Still Blurry |
2015 | For Awhile Anyway |
2014 | By Contrast |
2013 | A Very Long Time… |
2012 | Raise And Support |
2011 | Naturally |
2010 | A Quick Sunday Morning Read |
Giants Win Game 4 In Shutout 4 to 0!!! | |
Push The Envelope
Posted in Quotes, tagged Excellence, Quotes, Thomas J. Watson on July 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »
If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work. | |
— Thomas J. Watson | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | Ents |
2016 | Are You Sure? |
2015 | Distracted |
2014 | What It Takes |
2013 | We Are |
2012 | Utopian |
2011 | Seen Any Black Swans Lately? |