I’m struggling to find my footing in a society that distrusts excellence. I hunted excellence every day for 11 years. While the heat of my face still held its imprint on the pillow, I imagined ways to be better than yesterday. In minuscule moments of pause, I prepared myself for the next opportunity. As the dark defeated the sun, I analyzed the progress I had made and planned for tomorrow. The pursuit was always there. If anyone asked, I pointed to my high-stakes job as a Navy pilot. I never admitted that I loved the hunt. It gave my day meaning and purpose. It filled me with pride.
I think it can be. I would be hard pressed to say "this Platonic ideal is excellence and if you don't achieve it you're a failure." If anyone told me that my BS detector would start ringing.
One thing I learned in SERE school is that you do the best you can, and you learn to rely on others for the days when your best feels like it wasn't good enough. Then when others have days that they aren't proud of, you lift them up and bring them back into the community. Without judgement.
If washing up today is a win, then it's a win and as long as you're bringing the best of yourself in the honest pursuit of living your life as fully as you can, then that sounds like excellence to me.
I wrote this as a reaction to finding friends who were choosing to lower their standards and relax their values to attain rewards which they didn't earn. It's an experience I continue to grapple with.
Great writing Latham. Also quite a fan of that set of neurochemicals. : ) When the kids were little and I was craving some excitement I bought a trailer bike I could plop them on and head out on the windy woodland trails near the house. They loved it and it got some of those juices flowing. Ok, not quite an aircraft carrier, but better than sitting around the house.
Thank you Rick. I love the trailer bike. We have one ourselves. I used to take the kids around turns just a little too fast for the sheer joy of getting the adrenaline flowing.
I found myself thinking about this piece for days after I first read it. The way you embrace excellence in service of something bigger than yourself is inspiring.
Kirsten, that's such a great complement. You're the second person who has told me that a piece I wrote stuck with them. I'm honored that you found the piece worth reading and so so grateful for your help getting it to where it is
A dear friend of mine also spent his first career as a Navy pilot, flying jets from carriers, like you. Flight instructor, I believe. Now he flies widebody commercial, and is working on a very different third career. This helps me understand his earlier world. Bravo!
I see a little something hiding between your words on excellence... I'd say the reason it's ended up that we "should" distrust excellence is precisely because most jobs _are_ uninspiring, and excellence at something empty is empty itself—and so it's not just cheapened for the sake of marketing (although that is certainly true), but in that so much of our honest effort is put towards dishonest ends.
Three times is the charm. Your stats will tell you that this was the piece that inspired me to subscribe. They’re only partly right. It was the last 3 of your pieces: yes. Excellent, all.
You and I have lived opposite lives in many ways, yet your writing still hits me in the heart and the guts. Maybe it’s because we’re same-same in this one. And in the discovery of Beingness after so much doing. And in finding plenty of examples of what we don’t want, so hunting the truths of what we’re for. The worth dying for. The standing for. Thank you for sharing yourself like this. I look forward to your rebrand, and congrats on finding the name. (I followed Sarah’s crumbs.)
Alexx, Thank you for this wonderful comment. I'm smiling ear to ear, while at the same time feeling totally humbled knowing that you decided to subscribe.
I love the similarities even amongst different lives. There are common threads between us when we embrace our humanity. I'm still finding the words, but I know that the themes are worth exploring. I'm grateful you're coming along.
Also, Sarah is the best. I saw you're taking her memoir course. I can't wait to see what you do with it.
Dude. You’re the badass author I’ll be watching like the newb-kid-sister hawk on how to do this stuff on here, because subscribing was pretty much a duh. So if you’re smiling about that, I’m the humbled one.
Ohhhh yes. Just the first couple modules of Memoir Prep have already detangled my 20 years of memoir drafts (I’ve spent just a little time in the Writer’s Closet). It’s like a box of knotted up thread spools made a jackson pollock painting—or..it WAS until Sarah. 😈 I hope to scratch up the cash for an hour of private one of these days. I was glad to see your testimonial about that.
I think it can be. I would be hard pressed to say "this Platonic ideal is excellence and if you don't achieve it you're a failure." If anyone told me that my BS detector would start ringing.
One thing I learned in SERE school is that you do the best you can, and you learn to rely on others for the days when your best feels like it wasn't good enough. Then when others have days that they aren't proud of, you lift them up and bring them back into the community. Without judgement.
If washing up today is a win, then it's a win and as long as you're bringing the best of yourself in the honest pursuit of living your life as fully as you can, then that sounds like excellence to me.
I wrote this as a reaction to finding friends who were choosing to lower their standards and relax their values to attain rewards which they didn't earn. It's an experience I continue to grapple with.
Thanks for asking a great question Juliet.
This newsletter is excellent!
Thank you Christin!
A Latham gem. Awesome piece my friend!
Thank you Grace. And thank you for the help getting it here
Mediocrity is for the birds. Excellence is the only way!
Amen Brandon!
Wow. I get a hit of adrenaline reading this. But to live it, and know you have. Wow.
Thank you Karena.
Great writing Latham. Also quite a fan of that set of neurochemicals. : ) When the kids were little and I was craving some excitement I bought a trailer bike I could plop them on and head out on the windy woodland trails near the house. They loved it and it got some of those juices flowing. Ok, not quite an aircraft carrier, but better than sitting around the house.
Thank you Rick. I love the trailer bike. We have one ourselves. I used to take the kids around turns just a little too fast for the sheer joy of getting the adrenaline flowing.
I found myself thinking about this piece for days after I first read it. The way you embrace excellence in service of something bigger than yourself is inspiring.
Kirsten, that's such a great complement. You're the second person who has told me that a piece I wrote stuck with them. I'm honored that you found the piece worth reading and so so grateful for your help getting it to where it is
Dude. Yes. So pumped you wrote this. Really inspirational...
Thanks Alan. It was really fun to write. I needed to remind myself that some things are worth putting myself out there for.
Excellent, excellent essay.
Thank you Charlie. I really appreciate that.
A dear friend of mine also spent his first career as a Navy pilot, flying jets from carriers, like you. Flight instructor, I believe. Now he flies widebody commercial, and is working on a very different third career. This helps me understand his earlier world. Bravo!
I see a little something hiding between your words on excellence... I'd say the reason it's ended up that we "should" distrust excellence is precisely because most jobs _are_ uninspiring, and excellence at something empty is empty itself—and so it's not just cheapened for the sake of marketing (although that is certainly true), but in that so much of our honest effort is put towards dishonest ends.
Three times is the charm. Your stats will tell you that this was the piece that inspired me to subscribe. They’re only partly right. It was the last 3 of your pieces: yes. Excellent, all.
You and I have lived opposite lives in many ways, yet your writing still hits me in the heart and the guts. Maybe it’s because we’re same-same in this one. And in the discovery of Beingness after so much doing. And in finding plenty of examples of what we don’t want, so hunting the truths of what we’re for. The worth dying for. The standing for. Thank you for sharing yourself like this. I look forward to your rebrand, and congrats on finding the name. (I followed Sarah’s crumbs.)
Alexx, Thank you for this wonderful comment. I'm smiling ear to ear, while at the same time feeling totally humbled knowing that you decided to subscribe.
I love the similarities even amongst different lives. There are common threads between us when we embrace our humanity. I'm still finding the words, but I know that the themes are worth exploring. I'm grateful you're coming along.
Also, Sarah is the best. I saw you're taking her memoir course. I can't wait to see what you do with it.
Dude. You’re the badass author I’ll be watching like the newb-kid-sister hawk on how to do this stuff on here, because subscribing was pretty much a duh. So if you’re smiling about that, I’m the humbled one.
Ohhhh yes. Just the first couple modules of Memoir Prep have already detangled my 20 years of memoir drafts (I’ve spent just a little time in the Writer’s Closet). It’s like a box of knotted up thread spools made a jackson pollock painting—or..it WAS until Sarah. 😈 I hope to scratch up the cash for an hour of private one of these days. I was glad to see your testimonial about that.
PS your welcome email still has it listed as Whose Mountain. Gah...rebranding woes. I know them well. 🤪