Let me ask you a question. If you watch any kind of team sport, have you ever seen a team get a touchdown, or score a run, or make a goal, and the players jump in front of the camera screaming, “We’re number seven! We’re number seven!” Nope. Never happened. They all hold up one finger, “We’re number one!” even if they’ve never won a game. They’re still number one.

You have never heard someone talk about having had surgery and say, “My surgeon graduated in the bottom tenth of his class in medical school.” It’s always, “I had one of the top surgeons in the country.” That’s fine. Obviously, it’s much better to have confidence in your medical care than wonder if the doctor practices medicine part-time.

What’s wrong with being average? People who hold the middle ground should be celebrated!

Can you imagine watching a competition on television where the ones who excelled above everyone lost? “You’re score is too high! You’re finished!” It might be kind of fun.

The biggest problem with mediocrity is that it doesn’t make money. Advertising is about discontent. Can you imagine a commercial that begins, “It’s good to be satisfied with what you already have. Look around you. Your furniture is fine. Your car still runs. Your house is big enough.” No, the economy is built on not being happy with what you have. Advertising is meant to make you feel like what you have is not enough.

Here’s a question. Think what would happen to stress levels if mediocrity was okay!

Where did striving to be the top whatever come from? Who decided it’s best to try to be something other than yourself? It’s great to try to be your best! The pressure comes from comparing ourselves with others.

So, here’s to being mediocre. Those of us who live within one standard deviation of the mean are doing just fine.