It seems as of late that mediocrity has become the norm. Not the typical idea of modern day mediocrity. I'm referring to mediocrity with hints of exceptionality. You have individuals taking four plus years of courses to be mediocre. Most people would never consider anyone who worked that hard to be mediocre. I would define mediocrity as bare to minimum usage or expression of one's abilities or talents. As an artist my definition may be a tad bit more abstract than the standard logical approach. Being exceptional means doing everything possible to go above and beyond what you desire to do with your talents in life. To me a "successful" doctor could be mediocre.

The amount of money you make or degrees you obtain alone don't create being exceptional. Success is a loose word that we throw around way too often. Many of us don't really sit down and write down what we individually view as success. We like to collectively come up with an answer for success. Good grades, a nice salary, an ideal looking life, etc. The concept of success should be very fluid. It may change over time depending on the growth of an individual or the extent of their abilities. Meaning it should look different person to person. A mediocre doctor hates his job because he doesn't even come close to reaching his capacity of doing what he loves. His parents or significant other may have wanted him to be a doctor and maybe he was good at the motions. Still he knows it isn't what gives him the feeling of fulfilling his purpose.

Being realistic is a ridiculous idea to me. Let me proceed to limit myself with an attitude that only leads me to things that don't make me happy. "Go to college and take whatever job they offer you". This is either a really dangerous move or a smart step in the right direction. Looking at it as just a step that will allow you to truly follow your dreams, with the right follow through is what leads to exceptionally. This is not to say that destiny won't bring you to a job that you never considered, but aligns perfectly with what you believe you're called to do.I believe we are all called to be exceptional. While remembering purpose and exceptionally are not only reached by career choice, I would encourage fellow college students to really challenge themselves and question if the path they're following is leading them to mediocrity or exceptionality.