Welcome. I trust that you have done well so far in 2011. As the New Year rolled in, I told myself that I will do my best to pursue vigorously, God’s purpose for my life. I knew I may have to make new kinds of sacrifices, totally different from what I was used to.
I realized that some part of my life may have to be reorganized to accommodate God’s new move. It was also very easy to see that while my plans were as received from God, they were not plans I could execute on my own to make the kind of impact that was the goal. I knew I needed help!
So I advised myself to get the required help. Some of them were volunteers,and these were very easy to deal with, because they recognize that they had a part to play so they aligned with the vision and found their place. The other group however, the ones that had to be hired, were a different story all together.
Even though it wasn’t a search for perfection, it wasn’t a search for mediocrity either. I wanted people who understood the Vision and were willing to contribute their quota towards its manifestation. I did have to speak with quite a number of people, and one thing that was common to most of them was that they knew what was required, sometimes even more than I did.
This was a good thing, I thought. At least I will not have to think for them, nor will they need me to hold their hands through the process of discharging their duties. Boy! Was I wrong? What I discovered was that somehow, they knew what I wanted but they didn’t know how to do what I wanted. It seemed to me that a lot of them just knew the right words to speak but had no idea how to walk the talk.
In the past, I probably would have become stuck with them, because I couldn’t bring myself to say this wasn’t what I was looking for! I didn’t have the spine to fire after hiring, because of all the emotions and …well I am sure you understand.
So this year I devised a way round it. I told myself that this was not a year to settle for mediocrity; it wasn’t a year in which I was willing to manage anything but the best that was available. I told myself that my father was a God of excellence and anything short of excellence wouldn’t work. So I summoned courage to say to those who couldn’t satisfy the standard that it wasn’t working.
As homemakers, sometimes the responsibility of speaking up when something isn’t working is ours. It isn’t easy and it is not about to become easy, but we have need to keep speaking up. Whatever will not add value to your vision of a great home filled with peace and joy, where people can express themselves and fulfill destiny this year, is not an option!
It doesn’t matter where they have come from or who introduced them. If it isn’t working, then it isn’t working! To achieve the harmony for your home this year, that I know you so strongly desire, mediocrity is definitely not the way to go.
I don’t know about you, but mediocrity frustrates me, and when I am frustrated I get irritable. So from house help, to driver to chef to washer man… I need to be sure that they understand the vision and are willing to align themselves with it. If they don’t understand or cannot align, then I can assure you, your pace will be hindered and your work impacted on, negatively.
Know what it is that you require so you will know when it is not the standard and when you are sure the standard is wrong, feel free to speak up so you can bring about change.
Mediocrity will work if you are not going anywhere, but because I know you are going somewhere, I encourage you not to settle! Even if you have been at the same spot for so long, it is time to boldly face the change that you desire and make it happen.
The Lord said to Moses and the children of Israel, “you have gone round this mountain long enough…” You have settled for too long, it is time to arise and move beyond mediocrity, after all, you are on a journey somewhere.
May God bless and keep your home.
—Bidemi
bidemi@effectualmag.com