"No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him;
it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines
the greatness of ultimate distinction.”
I’ve always loved this quote. I know it was coined by Charles Kendall Adams, an American historian. And, if our words, our quotes are indicators of our character, he was a profound man.
We live in profound times. We are in a great economic recession. The unemployment rate is off the charts (589,000 Americans filed for unemployment last month). I can’t even begin to plumb the depths of the corporate greed of Wall Street, the deception of Bernard Madoff, the collapse of AIG and other titans of the financial world. There is a long list of other social and economic injustices that have plagued our country in just the last 6 months.
The world is changing at an alarming rate.
(check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY)
But, what doesn’t seem to change is human nature, more specifically, the human spirit. Empires have come and gone, risen and fallen (perhaps we are the cusp of a fall right now?) but the human spirit seems to be the most enduring force throughout history.
When I think of successful people, I measure their achievements by my own personal definition of success. We all, inherently, have standards, or definitions by which we judge success. Apparently, those on Wall Street who wrapped themselves up in “Ponzi” schemes define it this way. Success = more. When “more” is how you define success, it’s easy to stop at nothing to achieve it even if it means taking from or hurting others along the way.
But, it’s this brand of success, I’m afraid, that robs humanity of more than it’s assets. It steals it soul and the very spirit which is challenged in tough times like these.
Another definition of success was witnessed last week when I met an older man who came to my office to clean the carpets. We needed a spot-cleaning, not a full job. The gentleman who was in charge of the cleaning was friendly, polite and professional. He assessed the carpet as the receptionist pointed out the most glaring, troubled spots (we are all coffee drinkers and spills are inevitable). I asked the man how long the job would take. He said it would take less than an hour. That he has been doing this for over 30 years and that he is really fast.
As he began to pre-spray the carpet, he made as passing comment as I walked by. He said that everyone seems to like their jobs and that there was a positive energy in the room. I was appreciative of the observation. I asked him why he thought that and he said it’s probably because everyone is grateful to have a job. He went on to explain how he gets up every morning and thanks God that he has a job. He is not blind s to how difficult it is “out there”, that place you either live in or just know about thanks to the newspapers.
I was struck by this man’s optimism and his sheer attitude of gratefulness and acknowledgement for what he has, not to mention his ability to recognize it in others. I mean, human nature might be dismissive in that moment and simply say, “but he cleans carpets.” But, it’s the carpet cleaners, the street sweepers and the window washers that deserve the kind of attention and respect most seem to give because of how we define success.
When I returned to work today, I noticed the entire carpet was clean. Not just the spots. Not just the required. This man did not do what was simply required of him. He went above and beyond the required, achieving the greatness of ultimate distinction.
You see, it’s not the Wall Street executives that received the 6th largest end of year bonus in history ($18 billion in 2008!) that have me challenging my definitions of success. It is not those who have gained “more” for themselves that have left an indelible mark on my mind.
It is this man, this carpet cleaner, who did more than what was required that has me provoked and humbled.
Like him, for those of us who still have jobs, we should wake each morning with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
As the nation gets bailed out with billions of dollars… as the playing field becomes a bit more leveled… as we seek to be more responsible with how we spend and earn our money… it is time we revisit our definition of success.
Ultimately, how we define this fleeting term will create the lens that we look at the world through. It will shape how we treat one another… and ultimately, when we have a clean carpet to lay on, a clear window to see through and a clear street to walk upon, we’ll think more about the greatness of ultimate distinction and less about more.
Michael Albanese is a playwright and screenwriter. A recent transplant to Los Angeles from New York, he loves, in no particular order, all things Italian, art, films, music, theatre, food, wine, etc. He drinks a lot of coffee and knows just enough about sports to get by. He has vast experience in the hospitality and service industries and at one point in life, wanted to be a dentist. He lives with his best friend, who happens to be his wife. He is so grateful to have a job and hopes that he can one day meet his carpet cleaner friend again to thank him for the inspiration.
