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I am honoured to be the Guest Speaker for this special function not just because I have passion for education but because I am past student of this institution.

What does excellence look like at Petersfield High School?

Do you believe in excellence?

Do you celebrate with persons who excel?

Do you settle for mediocrity?

The fact that we are celebrating the achievements of our students and other stakeholders it is obvious that we embrace excellence.

According to Aristotle “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.

Students in order to achieve excellence there are three important P’s that I would like to highlight today.

PRACTICE

Practice – students you have to practice what excellence looks like if you are going attain excellence in whatever you do.

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Studies have shown that the most important ways to achieve excellent performance in fields such as sport, music, professions and scholarship is to practice. Achievement of excellence in such fields commonly requires approximately 10 years of dedication, comprising about 10, 000 hours of effort.

Students if you are going to achieve excellence in what you do I propose that you begin to practice those things which position you for excellence.

Dr. K. Anders Ericsson, a Swedish psychology and leading authority on performance expertise believes “deliberate practice’ is paramount to maximizing performance, not inherited talent.

Students then you cannot do anything else but PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE if you are going to be excellent.

The second P for excellence is Perseverance

Perseverance is untiring effort taken after failures. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another “said, Walter Elliot. If you pursue any action with great perseverance you are sure to attain it. Students I put it to you that it is better to try and fail than

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failing to try. The truth is that all of us make an attempt towards our goal in life. The majority fall out in the middle because they lose their perseverance and those who hang on till the end have tireless perseverance. So students, this is the secret behind the success of every man. It gives great satisfaction and glory when we put in little more effort than others.

“There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can’t. What you’ve got to do is turn around and say “watch me”

The final P for excellence is Positive attitude

“It is the attitude and not the aptitude that determines the aptitude of person”

Having a positive attitude towards your school work, wearing the correct uniform, keeping your surrounding clean, respecting every person on the school compound is excellence!!

Students, your attitude is what will make you excel!“Nothing can stop the man, woman, boy or girl, male or female with the right attitude from achieving his/her goal

Students:

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Winners are part of the answer;Winners sees a solution to every problem;

Winners have a plan;Winners say, “Let me do it for you”;

Winners say, “It may be difficult but it is possible”;When winners make a mistake, they say, “I was wrong”;

Winners say, “I must do something”;Winners are a part of the team;

Winners see the gain;Winners see possibilities;

Winners believe in win-win;Winners use hard arguments but soft words;

Winners are part of the solution; Winners make time;

Winners listen to what others say;. Winners catch others doing things right;

Winners learn from others;Winners celebrate others;Winners expect success;Winners make it happen;

Winners plan and prepare;.

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