A gentleman once visited a temple under construction where he saw a
sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying
nearby.

Surprised he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same
idol?"

No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the
first one got damaged at the last stage."

The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is
the damage?" asked the gentleman.

"There is a scratch on the nose of the
idol."said the sculptor, still busy with his work.

"Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet
high.

"If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch
on the nose?" the gentleman asked.

The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and
said, "I know it and God knows it!"

Moral - The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether
someone appreciates it or not. Excellence is a drive from inside, not
outside.

Excel at a task today - not necessarily for someone else to notice but for
your own satisfaction.