BE EXCELLENCE

BE EXCELLENCE

Yesterday marked 15 years since the death of Michael Jackson. I can’t believe it’s been that long since we lost him. Like many people, I can remember the day it happened like it was yesterday. I was in Dallas, volunteering at a juvenile diabetes camp, when I heard the news. I didn’t want to believe it because I’d loved MJ since I was a little kid. The Jackson 5 was the first concert I ever attended.

As I think about the life of MJ and what he contributed to this world, the following quotation comes to mind:

"We are what we repeatedly do. EXCELLENCE, then, is not an act but a habit." — Aristotle (?)

Michael Jackson exemplified EXCELLENCE. With every song, every performance, he showed us what it meant to be EXCELLENCE. He gave his all, over and over again, just for our entertainment.

I can remember as a teenager, I sitting in front of the television waiting for Michael Jackson’s Thriller video to premiere on MTV. The video was fourteen (14) minutes of genius. It lived up to the hype and was everything (and more) we hoped it would be. The success of that video catapulted MJ into a global superstar.

It was after that when he sold out stadiums all over the world. I would watch clips of his performance and see people passing out just by being in his presence. How do one person have that much effect on people all over the world?

I wanted to experience the MJ effect for myself. When he announced the This Is Us tour, me and my friend were lucky enough to secure tickets for the concert. How exciting!

My friend and I were all ready to travel to see him on opening night at the O2 Arena in London, England. Plane tickets were bought, hotels room secured, itinerary planned. I was ready to see Michael in concert again. I wanted to feel what others felt being in his presence. I wanted to see if I would pass out, too. If nothing else, I knew it would be an incredible experience because, unlike when I saw him as a teenage, his stardom was now out of this world.

Unfortunately, I never got to experience it because Michael Jackson died three weeks before the tour was set to begin.

I can’t remember how long I cried after hearing about his death, but it was a sad time. All that talent…gone. Just like that.

Although he passed away before the concert, I still went to London and had a wonderful time. On the day I was supposed to go to the concert, I decided to take the Eurostar to Paris. It was a wonderful day trip and I did enough in those 12 hours than someone else would probably do in 3 days. I met so many people from all over there world...there for the same reason.

This picture is from my time in London. We were all missing Michael Jackson.


The other day, I thought about him and how his life would be today if he were still here. Would he still be performing? What would he look like? Would his knees be busted like mine? All kinds of questions ran across to mind. Questions I’ll never have answers to.

Fortunately, he will live on through his music. Many songs are timeless and will most likely be played for eternity. Plus, there’s MJ, the musical that is touring the country. I will be able to see it in August.

There will never be another MJ, and individually, we will probably never reach his level of EXCELLENCE, but we can still do our best.

Here are five (5) strategies to help us strive for excellence in our lives:

  1. Know thyself: Know your strengths, and your weaknesses to provide a clear perspective of who you are and where you need to develop.
  2. Work hard, smart and consistently: Excellence requires you make efforts to stretch your boundaries, push your limits, and live to your highest potential.
  3. Become a sponge: Learn as much as you can about as much as you can. Read that again.
  4. Have a mindset of excellence: ?Excellence is not a goal; it’s a mindset. Believe in your ability to become excellence in what you do.
  5. Be open to change. Be willing to change so you don’t miss out on the endless opportunities to grow and become better.

Striving for excellence is evolving not the best version of ourselves…every single day. It is about making as significant impact on those around us.

It requires dedication and hard work. You have to consistently do your best, while challenging yourself to go further than you have before. Be determined to achieve what you set out to achieve, compassionate with yourself, and commit to becoming a better version of yourself.

Remember, EXCELLENCE is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the ride...


Andrea D. Campbell, MSE, MBA is a professional speaker, transformational coach and consultant who is intentional about leading with the heart. She is author of The Heart of Radical Caring: A Heart-Centered Approach to Transforming Workplace Culture and Driving Revenue.

Also, Andrea is a two-time cancer survivor and thriver. Facing death was a conscious reminder for her to make each moment count and she wants to help others to do the same...with kindness. She enjoys a little spice in her life and loves all things ginger.

#TheBeautifulJourney #CaringMatters #KindnessMatters #LoveMatters

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