Embracing Mediocrity as a Key to Mastery and Happiness
My goal is to change the way we see the word mediocrity and share 3 ways you can leverage mediocrity to your advantage.
Mediocrity is the ultimate sin in this world of achievement.
It symbolizes the worst we have to offer and our incapacity to achieve greatness.
But is it? Does mediocrity mean what we think it means?
Could mediocrity be a gift instead of a curse?
Is mediocrity a definite state or a phase?
These are some of the questions I will try to answer in this issue of #TheShift.
My goal is to change the way we see the word mediocrity and share 3 ways you can leverage mediocrity to your advantage.
Every master was once a beginner.
Everyone is a beginner at something.
Every beginner stumbles and makes mistakes.
We all plateaued in certain areas of our lives.
Mediocrity is in each one of our lives, even the genius.
So, how do we embrace its good parts?
The word mediocrity is not terrible as it’s portrayed throughout our society. “Mediocre” has its roots in Latin. It comes from the word mediocris which means “middling, ordinary, unremarkable”. here’s how the American Heritage dictionary lays out the context metaphoric behind the word mediocre:
Mediocris is a compound of the adjective medius, “half” or “in the middle,” and ocris, “rugged mountain.” Something that is mediocre is only midway up a mountain or rises up to only half a mountain’s height, as it were—the thing goes just halfway to the highest point of excellence.
If the ubiquitous Haitian proverb “ Dèyè Mòn Gen Mòn” stands true, we can all agree that our lives are made of a succession of internal and external mountains. We can’t climb all to the top. To know the difference is wisdom.
Being a conscious mediocre, a learning strategy
Until the age of 24, I never learned how to cook a proper meal. The first reason is culture. They don’t teach men how to cook in Haiti. Second, I was lazy when it came to house chores.
The first time I invited my mother and sister to eat at my house, they could not believe their eyes.
The eagerness in their eyes while I sprinkled spices unto the juicy ground beef said “What a disaster he’s preparing”.
I am pretty sure they were facing some large-scale confusion internally.
“How is this possible?
Is this the Stanley we know” How did that happen?“
One simple answer, I embrace "conscious mediocrity” as a learning strategy.
Conscious mediocrity is approaching learning with an eagerness to fail, make a lot of mistakes, and be mediocre at best. However, being self-aware to know when one reaches the mediocrity phase. Only then, one can start adding layers to aim for mastery.
A conscious mediocre goes into each specific task, area of life, and learning with a growth mindset. A belief he or she can get better with the required effort. Experimentation effort and are his friends. He knows the beginning sucks, the middle is messy, but he looks forward to the mediocrity phase. Because he knows in the end, he will come on the other side better and stronger.
Laugh at your mediocre moments.
When someone says: wow that’s ugly.
I embraced it, it’s not personal.
I have not done enough work to get to the great,
so the goal is to go back to the drawing board and get my 10,000 hours.
Am I a great chef? NO - wait 10-20 years.
But I’ve volunteered myself into mediocrity to gain mastery.
Average at best, happiness that lasts
The world is obsessed with more.
more lips
more guns
more degrees
more likes
more followers
more opinions
more money
add yours…
a never-ending streak of more
Our obsession with “MORE WITHOUT WHY” is an obstacle to a content life. We want more because we should or can get more. Thus, these desires are rooted in external metrics and not internal values.
The truth is no amount of more is going to satisfy the void we feel. This is coming from a workaholic and obsessed/competitive man.
The solution to happiness is contentment. The definition of contentment is a state of happiness.
There’s immense power in the ordinary if we accept to be average at many of the social games. The more mediocre we are at those social games, the more stamina we have to master our internal mountains.
Mediocrity is not the sin
Being unconscious of our mediocrity areas is a sin.
Adopting a mediocre mindset in all areas of life is a sin.