Excellence

An offering...

In ninety-nine days, Baha'is around the world will commemorate the the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the son of the Prophet of the Baha'i Faith - Baha'u'llah - and the designated Interpreter of the Divinely Revealed texts. As a child, my mother would regale me with stories of His life, encourage me to memorise prayers and strive to follow His example. Our communities are full of people sharing stories of this incredible personage. When I think of excellence it is His face that comes to my mind. When I make a mistake or simply feel as though I am on a treadmill heading in the opposite direction to where I intend to go, it is His words and His example I turn toward for inspiration and encouragement. I get back up again knowing that what it is I may be suffering pales in comparison to the trials and tribulations visited on His shoulders during his seventy-seven years of life. This morning, I was intrigued by an article that shared how one community dedicated the remaining days leading up to the centenary of his passing to serve their community. They were letting everyone know of their intention so that they may be called upon to render service in whatever way they could. The thought popped into my head, could I do this too? Where would I start and how? As I was writing this I sparked an idea. I could share a quote or story in my post relative to the virtue to help me practice it and identify its importance. That means that from this day until 28 November, I will post an entry every day. The practice of excellence reminds me that it is not to strive for perfection but to show up and do my best. I love to scour the internet for quotes that help me with what I am going through. Why not share them and expound on how it impacts my life. I need not keep them to myself but can share them in the spirit of generosity and fellowship. 'Abdu'l-Baha dedicated his life and soul to spreading the Teachings of His Father, its chief goal is the development of the individual and society, through the acquisition of spiritual virtues and powers. This is what I will bring to mind when the thoughts of reneging on this project percolate up. It is a small thing compared to the bountiful treasures we have been gifted to enable us to strive to live up to the standard of a human being set by Baha'u'llah. It is a high and lofty standard but excellence gives me a leg up and offers me its hand when I fall, because it demands that I keep going each and every day. The Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baha'i Faith states:

"In everything we do we should always try to attain a standard of excellence."

The destination is not the goal here but the spirit in which things are done. A seed matures relative to the quality of its environment, likewise our talents and gifts mature when we have the courage to offer them to the world.