I was dead asleep.
Which is a good thing since it was 4am.
As a leader in an organization the runs day and night, seven days a week, I don’t always sleep at 4am.
This particular night, the beauty rest I greatly craved had washed over me… until in a moment my eyes popped open.
It was as if someone was talking to me, but I couldn’t hear anything with my ears.
It was as if I had just ended up in a meeting of leadership that was in progress like it was the middle of the day.
Suddenly I heard, “What stands between where people are and where they want to be is… Excellence.”
It is like in Algebra class in high school.
X + 2 = 4
And the teacher would tell us, “Solve for X.”
X (or excellence) is that intangible thing that we spend our time solving life’s problems to attain. Some of us push through and constantly reach for that goal.
While others of us simply think that solving for X is too hard and we excuse our lives away with reasons that we simply can’t be excellent.
God wants us to be excellent.
In the middle of the night, while my husband was snoring blissfully next to me, I heard in 5 seconds – these are the steps to excellence.
I scrambled in the dark so that I didn’t wake my husband and found a pen and wrote as quickly as I could:
- Examine
- Expand
- Explain
- Execute
- Exclude
- Exclaim
- Exhale
That’s when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt God had a Word for me to seek out and share about excellence.
I’m simply not that smart in my human flesh to sit up out of a dead sleep at 4 am and have that kind of clarity. I had help. God’s help.
A Series on Excellence
My next few blogs are going to be a series on Excellence and the steps I searched out that God revealed to my heart to get there.
I look forward to this journey to Excellence with you and encourage you to share these next few blogs with your staff, co-workers, professional friends and those reaching for the next level in life.
The next few leadership blogs might be a great way to evangelize in the name of excellence. 🙂
I can’t wait to share!
Your Turn
Is excellence something you have been craving in life? Have you wanted the next level and not known how to get there? Tell me about what is going on in your world!
I love where this is going. Can’t wait to hear more about what God has revealed to you about excellence. I know that God and His church deserve nothing less, so I’m constantly striving for the same as a speaker, writer, and leader. Looking forward to gleaning from your wisdom, friend!
Janay,
Your gift will undoubtedly take whatever is here and show me how it could have been HNL!!!
Great article Pastor Nicole! I loved hearing you speak on this too! I’ve heard similar leadership commentary in the business world, but I’ve always felt they lacked something that brought it all together. I feel quite silly not immediately knowing it was God! This insight on leadership and excellence is much more complete than anything I’ve seen before. Please compile this blog series into a book on the subject!
David – What a compliment, thank you! I am excited to start on this blog series. I haven’t done one before and I am interested to see the conversations that are generated.
I am ready to go to the next level personally and professionally! This is what I’ve been listening for! Equipped and ready for the journey… Thank you, Pastor Nicole
Dawn,
Hold on tight. Here we go!
Good morning Pastor,
I think about excellence a lot. I even have on my email signature a little saying about excellence.. “Excellence Is…Dreaming more than what others think is Practical.. and Expecting more than others think is Possible!!!”
But all of the excellence I believe in and strive to always be my best, I also believe are blessings and coverings or provisions of God. I mean, he promises us victory here and now in his word. While I have always believed in going above and beyond and striving for excellence, its only been the past, say two years, that after being a “christian” the majority of my 52 years of life, I finally really really understood Grace and to the extent that I finally truly know we have this Victory and the awesome blessings, protections, provisions and mind of Jesus!! It is HIS Excellence that opens doors, brings favor, brings healing, brings calmness and peace in the midst of the storms all around you… To me, Excellence is Jesus. The key then, to me… my opinion then.. hhah is people need to see this Excellence, Feel it, Know its there and it can be theirs too. For years I have heard people talk and talk about different miracles in their lives or healings or blessings… and way back I remember thinking, like I see most think… why doesn’t that happen to me? Why am I not healed? Where’s favor for me? And I tell you the truth, the summer I ate up everything I could trying to fully and I mean fully understand what Grace REALLY meant. That was the summer.. After being a christian the majority of my life… a believer… without really understanding the love and power and awesomeness of the Grace of Jesus, that I Saw for the first time, the amazing Excellence of Jesus! And I see it everyday and in everything situation… Sorry to write you a book here.. hahah I have not yet attended your church… but have been watching and learning about you and I do watch the posts online as well. God will tell me and my hubby when and where its time.. However, since you are talking about Excellence… I just couldn’t help but post this. What I have not seen in most churches… is just that, and claiming!!!! Claiming!!! His excellence… There is a path to getting there and understanding it all… Teach people how!! It’s a GIFT to everyone… ahhh I have so much more to say on this, but have to get ready for work today.. I hope I have not sounded confusing, and I hope you understand where I am going with this message.. 🙂 God bless you guys and have a great day,
Jackie
Jackie,
I can’t wait to meet you my future friend! And what a capacity to communicate your thoughts – truly a gift! I pray the understanding that you are gaining continues to grow within you!
Nicole
Dear Pastor Nicole:
I simply love your blog and I pray for more excellence in my harp playing for weddings. I realize everyday how imperfect I am in myself, but He helps be bridge the gap when I make the effort with all I can do. Last week I got to play at the Ram’s Club for Levi Restuarant’s showcase and had a blast! Thank u so much for your encouraging words and hugs at church and online. I am truly blessed because of you.