Stay Comfortable

One of our families favorite places to hike is on the Douglas Springs Trail on the east end of Speedway. We have had some good times there, including making friends with the Isreali girls, feeding the squirrel at the falls and getting breathtaking looks at the City after the long trudge up the hill.

About 3 or 4 miles up, halfway to the summit, is the Bridal Wreath Falls, pictured here. This is where we fed the squirrel, where you can bask in the sun or the spray from the falls and where you can enjoy a cool and comfortable break from the hard work that got you there.


The only problem with it is, sooner or later, you have to leave and either keep going up or head back down.

It kind of reminds me of working for a bureaucratical organization, like the one I work for. You have to work hard at first, trudging, sweating, huffing and puffing. Finally, you reach a level that is very refreshing. You have passed your probation, gained some respect from your colleagues, get a decent salary.....you have arrived.

The problem is, once you have reached this cool comfortable place, sooner or later you have to either go up or down. This place, where you have become so comfortable, is known as mediocrity. It is pretty much the standard for bureaucracy. If you reach it, you will be fine. You will continue to be paid, you will maintain all the things you need to keep your job. You are there. You are also stuck.

You won't really get anywhere and you will soon see others begin to pass you by. Not in position or salary. These things don't necessarily have anything to do with whether or not your work is excellent or mediocre and will come and go for both the hard workers and the slackers. But you will be passed by in personal standards and personal integrity. It is hard to stay in that comfortable place called mediocrity and do the quality of work that you know you should be doing.

Daily the choice is yours. Are you going up, regardless of the circumstances and how they treat you, or are you going to wallow in mediocrity?

For what it is worth, based on my experience, it is easier to stay mediocre.