The Pair of Orange Shoes - A Symbol of Excellence is about striving for excellence in your careers, finances and personal lives. It encourages you to be distinguished and easily identifiable by setting your mission and goals and taking action.

1. The Pair of Orange Shoes - A Symbol of Excellence
I frequently find myself thinking about excellence. Success in our careers, finances or personal lives is all
about striving for excellence. What then is excellence? I would say excellence is something that is
outstanding and easily identifiable.
For example, few days ago I went to run some errands including going to the bank. While parking my
car I glimpsed a pair of elegant orange shoes stepping inside the bank. The split seconds I had to see the
pair of elegant orange shoes was enough to plant in my mind that they were truly an amazing pair of
shoes and one I am confident Imelda Marcos would have love to add to her almost three thousand
collection of shoes.
The quality of a person’s shoes is very often considered as symbol of wealth and sophistication. The pair
of elegant orange shoes that I saw was distinguished and easily identifiable, and clearly a symbol of
excellence. Consequently, my first reaction to the pair of elegant orange shoes was that I wanted to see
person whose feet worn those elegant orange shoes. I wanted to ask the person wearing the shoes to
allow me to picture for my social media update. I am presumptuous individual. However, I am not a
stalker or paparazzi.
Once inside the bank it was easy for me to grace my eyes on the pair of elegant orange shoes. The pair
of elegant orange shoes was being worn by someone I know – a friend and a truly wonderful person. A
key point about excellence is that it causes us to scrutinize others and to be scrutinized by others much
closer. My split seconds glance at the pair of elegant orange shoes stepping inside the bank and
concluding it was a symbol of excellence was enough for me to take a closer look at who was wearing it.
I share this story to encourage you standout and shine like an elegant pair of orange shoes. Strive for
excellence in your careers, finances and personal lives. To do this set your mission and goals. This is
simply a set of guiding principles which clearly state where you are going and where you want to be at
specific times in your life. A mission statement embodies your values. It is your personal lighthouse that
helps to keep you steadily on the course of your dreams and goals. Whatever the mission statement of
your life, refine it and review it regularly. Once you have set your mission and goals it is imperative to
act on your goals.
I encourage you to strive for excellence in you careers, finances and personal lives. Standout like a
beacon and be like my friend’s pair of elegant bright orange shoes. Be distinguished and easily
identifiable as the hallmark of excellence.
Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well
as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor. He can be contacted by
email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622.