Excellence makes you stand out. There is no doubt about that. Whether that separation is good or bad is a matter of opinion and priority.
It's hard to accurately predict how other people will respond to the pursuit of excellence.
People can label it as weird, unnecessary, strange, overkill, talent, opportunistic, too demanding, or any other description that justifies their perspective.
Some push back against excellence because it looks more challenging and exhausting than they prefer. Others want to gain from it without contributing to it. So they ride the coattails of other people's excellence, hoping to benefit without investing much of themselves.
Plenty of people resent excellence. It reveals to them, in uncomfortably clear terms, how far they are from excellence. They attempt to close this gap by diminishing others rather than improving themselves. They could use the awareness to increase their excellence. Instead, they criticize and try to tear down the excellence of others.
Why do you need to know this?
Because not everyone recognizes excellence or celebrates it. Excellence gets criticized, diminished, or ridiculed as much as it gets celebrated.
This dynamic can throw you off-balance if you're not ready for it. It's disheartening and sows the seeds of doubt in your mind.
Your commitment to excellence must be stronger than the criticism you receive for pursuing it.
Answer the call. Do the work.
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