Don't Be a Rut

I know, two in a day, but my creative juices are flowing at the moment and I just saw a quote my girlfriend dredged up from the vast ocean of the internet.
"You settle for mediocrity and passivity, a diluted existence instead of raw delicious immersion in life."
Whoever said this is totally right. To be mediocre, to be something other than the best you are, is a slap in the face. You ruin your life, and you just live like a rut in the road. Instead of being a face in the crowd that people remember, you're more like the wall on a building. Just there, and just in the way.
And the effect on others.
You mean to tell me someone doesn't look to you for guidance? Your kid, younger sibling, favorite niece, what have you, they all look to you for guidance. And if you're a rut, they'll fall into that rut, trusting you to know what's best.
To be mediocre then, is not just to break yourself, but to break others. Take the road less travelled, and come out in a paradise. Or, better, make a road, and make a paradise.