And it can be discovered in all walks of life and in every action large or small.
There is excellence in flower arranging, in teaching, in the way some people keep their homes, or flip pancakes, or...well you get the idea.
Some events reliably showcase excellence - the Super Bowl does it for TV commercials, many of which embody the zeitgeist of their times.
Who can forget Apple's 1984? Many think it's the best ad ever made. It introduced the revolutionary Macintosh personal computer, and was directed by Ridley Scott before he became famous and won Academy Awards for movies like Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down - to name but a few.
Here it is with apologies for the poor quality - have not been able to find better:
What about the amazing Budweiser 9/11 commercial, featuring their iconic Clydesdale horses, shown at the 2011 Super Bowl? It was shown only once, but is perhaps one of the most moving tributes in the wake of that disaster. And seriously, how classy to show it only one time?
This year, the New York Life Insurance Company knocked my socks off with their ad celebrating love. Where most Super Bowl ads create their wow factor from their visuals, this one does it primarily with words:
“The ancient Greeks had four words for love,” the ad's narrator explains. “The first is ‘Philia’ Philia is affection that grows from friendship.
Next, there’s ‘Storge’ – the kind you have for a grandparent or a brother.
The third is ‘Eros,’ the uncontrollable urge to say ‘I love you.’
“The fourth kind of love is different. It’s the most admirable. It’s called ‘Agape’ – love as an action.” “It takes courage. Sacrifice. Strength.”
The commercial ends with one last message, “For 175 years, we’ve been helping people act on their love, so they can look back, or look ahead, and say – ‘we got it right.'”
I cannot watch this ad without being moved to tears. It is wonderful on so many levels.
Excellence.
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