While I received gifts of insight and beauty from each one of these magnificent people one thing stood out for me that I want to share with you.

Michael spoke about three states of consciousness and what happens during true transformation. The first state is when we have an agreement with mediocrity. When this is happening we spend most of our time talking about other people. We gossip, blame, compare and compete. From my observation when we agree to live a mediocre life we set ourselves up for varying degrees of misery.

The second state is when we break our agreement with mediocrity and move into the zone of average. Here we find ourselves talking mostly about conditions: the price of gas, the weather, the state of our bodies - you know the ordinary stuff that consumes a lot of our time. It produces chronic frustration and perpetual low grade anxiety.

The third state is when we move into an agreement with excellence. That is when our focus and our conversations turn toward possibilities. I know this to be the land of inspiration, celebration and magnificence. I know when I am around people who have an agreement with excellence too. They have a sparkle about them. They are focused and involved with life doing what they most love to do.

True transformation requires us to choose an agreement with excellence. Nobody forces us to make that choice. Not everyone does. But when you spend time with people who have chosen to move beyond a life of default into a life of choice you can feel the depth of character that emanates from them. You just know that they have traveled a transformational journey to claim their genius.

Reaching for excellence does not guarantee that we will achieve all of our desired outcomes. There are surprises along the way. But once we know that the profound moments of our lives occur on the journey not at the destination we can settle back and relax for the ride.

Leaning into the creative edges of our lives and stepping up to the plate to give our gifts takes courage. The fulfillment that comes from expressing the excellence that pours through us is not an ego thing. It is a human thing. For humans who acknowledge their spirituality and embrace their wholeness there is no other way.