Day 15 & 16: Absolutely nothing wrong in achieving

This was submitted by a very scholarly individual from London, England. Through all the tech and intensity of of 30DC, there is a beautiful message for us to hear...

There is absolutely nothing wrong in achieving the best that one can achieve in whatever sphere of life we are involved in. Personal high performance should not be something we should feel guilty about or be made to feel guilty about. In fact there is a moral imperative here. We are called to create and to achieve. Not to do so is tantamount to neglecting and denying our God/Universe/Nature-given talents and skills. We are forbidden to bury our light under a bushel. We are, however, instructed to go and out and build on whatever we already have in order for it to increase and multiply.
Despite this we often have such a negative view of success, excellence and achievement. It's as if there is something inherently wrong or unhealthy about it. We therefore have to be quiet and subdued about our successes. We often deride those who have 'made it'. We want to knock them and we take pleasure in seeing them suffer. A false humility must prevail. This is, of course, part of that Victorian hypocrisy we are all familiar with. But it is also partly due to the Protestant Work Ethic (Calvinistic and Puritan), which came out of the Reformation in 16th Century. Constant labour was a sign that we took our duty to work seriously and that this work was for the benefit of other individuals and society as a whole. Work diligently (for it is a mark that salvation has taken root in a person's life). Nothing wrong in all that! But keep quiet about it and do not boast.
Nobody is advocating arrogance and pomposity here.
Nevertheless we need to celebrate our successes and not be afraid to achieve and work for excellence.
So, although there is nothing wrong in high performance it has to be pursued with a sense of purpose. Not merely for personal gain and private aggrandisement. The more we succeed the more we must be aware the moral responsibility that rests with us. Perhaps, it is summed up best in the statement 'to whom much is given much will be required'. This is a distinct moral code that has to be followed. People must always come first and anything that takes away from the dignity of human beings is morally repugnant. So that any success that comes about through exploitation and degradation and is based on greed and power has to be condemned unequivocally.
So, by all means aim for the great heights and do not be ashamed of reaching the top, but always with a sense of true humility, never losing sight of the even greater heights that are found in the true values and goals of life. The values of respect and love founded on the premise that all real success and high performance should be for the betterment of the lives of millions of human beings who inhabit this planet.
Go out achieve the best. Celebrate it. Do not deny it. Then give it away. Therein lies true High Achievement and true Satisfaction.