We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks

Hear the clarion words of Barack Obama: “We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.” This utterance is no passing remark, but a summons, a call to arms for the spirit. For in every age, humanity has been tempted by mediocrity, lulled into comfort, satisfied with “good enough.” Yet Obama reminds us that greatness does not come by chance—it must be cultivated within, embraced as a way of life, and made the heartbeat of every action. To internalize excellence is to carry it not as a mask, but as the very essence of one’s being.

The ancients knew well that excellence—what the Greeks called arete—was not merely skill, but virtue expressed in action. It was the highest form of living, the pursuit of one’s fullest potential in every deed, whether in war, in art, or in governance. To internalize this idea is to rise above the common tide of apathy, to declare with one’s life that mediocrity will not suffice. Obama’s lament, that few spend time in this pursuit, is both warning and challenge: the road of excellence is lonely, yet it is the only path that leads to lasting honor.

Consider the tale of Alexander the Great, tutored by Aristotle. From youth, he was taught not merely to conquer lands but to conquer himself, to pursue mastery in thought and action. His empire, vast and short-lived, was proof of what ambition joined with discipline can achieve. But more enduring than his conquests was his devotion to striving higher, to refusing the ordinary. Though flawed, Alexander embodied the truth that men who internalize excellence shape the destiny of nations.

Yet, let us also see the reverse. How many empires, how many lives, have crumbled because their leaders settled for less than excellence? Rome decayed not when its armies grew weak, but when its people lost their hunger for virtue and discipline. Mediocrity seeped into the bones of the Republic, and with it, corruption, laziness, and decline. Here lies the danger Obama speaks of: when a people no longer aim for excellence, they begin to rot from within, even while the outer walls still stand.

Excellence is not perfection, nor is it arrogance. It is the daily choice to rise above the easy path. It is the craftsman sanding the wood a little smoother, though none will see. It is the student studying late into the night, though the world may never applaud. It is the parent striving to teach virtue to a child, though it requires sacrifice and patience. These small acts, repeated in fidelity, form a life of greatness. To internalize excellence is to live with the awareness that every act, no matter how small, carries the weight of eternity.

The lesson for us is clear: do not be content with “enough.” Strive to make excellence your nature, not your exception. Speak with honesty even when it costs you. Work with diligence even when no one watches. Seek wisdom when ignorance is easier. In this way, you honor not only yourself but the generations who will follow, for excellence begets excellence, while mediocrity spreads like rot.

Practical action must flow from this teaching. Each day, ask yourself: Did I strive for excellence today? Not in grandeur, but in the ordinary: in my words, in my duties, in my treatment of others. Set aside time not merely to succeed, but to grow. Surround yourself with those who demand more of you, who remind you that the highest life is lived not in drifting, but in striving.

So let Obama’s words be carved into memory: “We need to internalize this idea of excellence.” Let them be not only remembered but lived. For the age hungers not for more mediocrity, but for men and women who carry excellence in their bones, who let it guide their hands and their hearts. Walk this path, and though the crowd may not follow, history will remember. For excellence is the seed of immortality, and those who embrace it live not only for themselves, but for all time.