Practice #6 - Mediocrity is NOT Acceptable

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,920 We live in a society of mediocrity. Why is this? Why is everyone mediocre? Well, I believe that 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:14,880 it's because of the system in place. I heard from Iman Gazi, he said that we live in a society 3 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:23,680 where it is normal to go to school, which is basically like a factory that conditions us to be 4 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:33,680 mediocre and behave well and to obey the orders of our teachers, our bosses, the factory owners, 5 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:41,440 all these people. And so we're in a society where it is normal to be mediocre and it's actually 6 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:51,760 strange and out of the ordinary to excel, to strive for success. And so I also learned from Iman 7 00:00:51,760 --> 00:01:01,920 that the Trojans and the ancient Greeks, they were not like that. The lifestyles they led 8 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:09,680 were not mediocre. They were far from it. Actually, mediocrity was shunned and it was 9 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,120 it was the minority. There were not very many people that were not 10 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:23,200 that were not striving for excellence or not very many people who were living a 11 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:34,560 so-called mediocre lifestyle. And that's because they lived in a society where everyone was living 12 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:42,240 this rigorous lifestyle. I heard that the Trojans, they would have their the school boys, 13 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:49,040 they would be in excellent shape. They would have to do brutal workouts and they would only be 14 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:57,040 allowed to walk shoeless and they would always be in the top shape of their lives. And the teachers 15 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:05,040 were no ordinary teachers that they pull off the streets. They were highly coveted, selected 16 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:13,760 individuals that were excellent role models and excellent mentors. So they were the best of the 17 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:23,760 best citizens and they were teaching the young men. And so I was thinking, why do we have to 18 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:31,120 live in a mediocre society? And I'm thinking, I'm actually starting to gain hope because I always 19 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:38,080 thought that it was not, I always was embarrassed to talk about self-improvement. And even today, 20 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:45,360 I'm still kind of embarrassed or ashamed to talk about how I'm striving for success and how I'm 21 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:53,360 improving myself just because it's not normal. It's not considered normal in our society. And 22 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,600 all the time when people ask me, like, oh, you go to the gym at six in the morning? Oh, 23 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:06,960 you wake up before the morning? Oh, you do all this, you do that. Like, it's a shock to them to 24 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:13,520 see someone who's actually striving for excellence. And I'm starting to garner hope because I always 25 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:21,840 thought that it was just how it is that our society is mediocre. But I think that it's time for 26 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:31,760 for change to happen. I think it's it's time for a change in the system. It's time for mediocrity 27 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:40,880 to be abolished. It's time to end all of this awful lifestyle that people lead. It is time to 28 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:49,600 change the culture around here for the better. It's time to live like the Trojans and the Ancient 29 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:56,560 Greeks, the Ancient Greeks did. It's time that we come together as a community, as a country, as a 30 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:05,040 world, and realize that this mediocrity is not acceptable. We're made for more. It's not okay 31 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:11,600 to be mediocre. It is a terrible life. I was mediocre when I was younger. It is an awful life. 32 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:20,320 And it does not end well. I know that because you just have to look around. Look at any person on 33 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:41,840 the street, older person, it does not end well. Mediocrity is not okay. So it's time to make a change.