I believe that mediocrity is the greatest killer of marriage, relationships, and careers. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, “I want a mediocre job, spouse or life” yet ultimately so many end up dwelling in a lackluster life devoid of energy and passion. And why? Only because it is easier than the effort it requires to make life great.
In this week's Torah portion, God tells the Jewish people that He placed before them life and death. God then implores them to:
"...choose life, so that you will live..." (Deuteronomy, 30:19)
The Torah is talking about choosing life in a spiritual sense. Mediocrity is the opposite of choosing life.
We all have the capacity to change the world in our own way. Each one of us can choose to either make a difference or to coast along and achive nothing. We can’t solve all the issues in the world, but our time, energy and money can make a difference. It takes effort and it’s challenging to leave our comfort zones and our easy lives. Think of a righteous gentile who hid Jews with during the Holocaust. It was extremely dangerous, and they and their families could be killed if discovered. It was a huge effort and required extreme commitment to doing what is right and bravery. As individuals, they could not stop the horrors of the Nazis but they could impact the world in their way. Today there are dynasties of thousands of offspring of hidden survivors because someone chose life.
Each of us can choose life - choose to use our time and energy for something meaningful. Each of us can overcome our fears and chose greatness. As Suzy Kassem, American writer and philosopher says “Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Suzy Kassem