His second book, A Passion for Excellence, sets forth the mandates for excellence in the work arena. He's emphatic about the need to work for the customer, to provide thorough customer service, and of working with integrity. He draws his discussion of excellence to a conclusion by talking about its cost. An honest but alarming statement appears in the last page of the last chapter of the book. The price of excellence is time, energy, attention and focus, at the very same time that energy, attention and focus could have gone toward enjoying your daughter's soccer game.
Excellence is a high cost item.
And I would add, that at the very same time, that energy, attention and focus could have gone toward volunteering in your community or your church. That energy, attention and focus could have gone toward helping your neighbour, loving the stranger, laughing with a child. Throughout the Old and New Testaments is the message that the wisdom of the world is foolishness in the Kingdom of God. I try not to want. I avoid opulence because I don't want to see things I want.