Sometimes wisdom doesn't always come in the form of a dude wearing a robe or speaking in koans.
Sometimes it shows up in a movie from the 80s,
Wearing a band tee and telling us to be excellent to each other.
Let's reflect on that.
Let's take a moment to settle into stillness.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Let your shoulders drop.
Really settle into that chair,
That cushion.
Another full,
Easy breath in through the nose,
And a long,
Slow breath out.
Good,
Let's just do a few more like that.
There's no rush,
Just letting your breath settle you back into your body.
Maybe now you can imagine what being excellent actually looks like.
Not on a movie screen,
But in your regular,
Everyday life.
Maybe it's the way you pause to really listen when someone's talking,
The way you smile at a stranger without expecting anything in return.
Maybe a little deeper,
Maybe the way you catch yourself when you're about to snap.
Pause and you choose kindness instead.
See,
Being excellent doesn't mean being flawless.
It means being human,
In the best ways that we can be.
Just breathe into that.
Maybe today you've already had moments that didn't feel so excellent.
Some frustration here,
Maybe on the drive into work,
Or with your kids,
A short fuse there.
Maybe some impatience with yourself,
And hey,
That's okay,
That's part of the ride.
This isn't about guilt or fixing anything,
It's about noticing,
And then choosing to show up with a little more presence,
A little more softness,
A little more,
Hey,
We're all in this together.
Just take a deep breath in,
Let it all go on the exhale.
And feel the space that you're in,
Just as it is.
Feel yourself,
Just as you are.
Be excellent to each other,
It's not just a lecture,
It's not a rule.
It's an invitation to bring lightness to heavy moments,
To bring warmth to cold ones,
To bring some connection where there might have been disconnect.
You don't have to change the world,
You don't have to solve anyone's problems.
Sometimes excellence is as simple as making someone feel seen.
So what would that look like today for you?
Can you picture just one small,
Excellent thing that you could offer?
Could be to someone else,
It could be to yourself.
Maybe you could send that kind text.
Or maybe you could make a point to hold the door for someone.
Maybe it's just not rolling your eyes when you really want to.
Whatever it is,
Let it be simple,
But let it come from the heart.
There is this really beautiful thing that happens when we offer excellence,
Even just a little bit,
To the people around us.
It tends to come back to us.
Not always in obvious ways,
But it lingers,
It ripples.
And slowly it shapes the way we experience the world.
And excellence in this sense is like joy or generosity.
It multiplies when we share it.
Maybe that's the point.
To keep on this wild human journey,
Just a little more joyful,
A little more connected.
To take the edge off with a smile or a good tune,
A kind word.
To make space for others and ourselves to just be.
As those wise dudes from San Dimas High Bill and Ted remind us in their most triumphant wisdom,
Be excellent to each other and party on dudes.
It sounds silly,
But also it's kind of perfect.
What is partying on,
Really,
If not moving forward with joy,
With curiosity,
With the courage to keep being kind,
Even when it's hard.
Let's just take one more slow breath in,
And a breath out,
And see if you can let that playful energy settle into your bones.
And as you move through the rest of your day,
See if you can bring a little more excellence into your moments.
Not for applause,
Not for reward,
But simply just because it feels good to care.
It feels good to be a force for good.
And if all else fails,
Just remember the mantra,
Be excellent to each other.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
And may you always party on dudes.
Thank you so much for joining me.
