Whilst contemplating ‘things’ I noticed that my computer’s screen saver kicked in and the statement “Be the best you can be” started moving along the screen.
I previously set that up and it made me think “What does that actually mean?”
After all, it is, potentially, counter productive. I mean if I am the best I can be at my triathlons, I’d probably not be the best I can be as a Father / husband – I’d be training a lot more!
Whilst I do strive to balance things out, it does mean that there are compromises to make and things to let go of. If all I did was work – I’d be rubbish at quite a few things, but it would mean I’d be better at providing for my family.
Life is full of choices and decisions to make and we sometimes have to make compromises to fit everything in. Last week I spent all week away from home, working for a client whilst one of my Daughters was visiting home, on a break from University. I really enjoyed the week and it was great to get back home, although it was a shame to miss my Daughters visit, it was a compromise I had to make.
There are many examples of success stories and people achieving great things, but let’s be really clear, they would have had to let something else go in order to achieve these things. Someone I do think, from what I’ve heard and read about, was the best he could be was Stephen Hawking (RIP). It seems that he did ‘maximise’ his time on earth and clearly achieved brilliant things, that, even if I had 200 years, would probably never achieve.
Being the best you can be, might mean letting people down now and then. It might mean losing now and then or giving in, now and then.
Having great wealth or material things might indicate success, in one area, but it does not always equal happiness, contentment, love and fulfilment. In fact, where people have worked extremely hard for these things we often see a disconnection with other areas and life can become a facade, where it looks good from the outside but, in reality, it is something different.
How many times do we hear of the ‘ideal couple’ splitting up and we think “Why, they had everything!” Or maybe the news about Ant (Ant and Dec) going into rehabilitation because of his drink and drug addiction – and he had most things you could ever want!
Being the best you can be, might be the thing the drives success but it can also cause problems. If you are a good person, caring and mindful of others then this will shine through and this, for me, means you are being the best you can be. It’s not about the big house or fast cars, although that would be nice too!
It’s about you, as a human being!
Are you the best you can be? I have to admit, I am still ‘work in progress!’