I'm Doing My Best

A fellow colleague shared a great statement with me yesterday. When I asked how her day was going, she replied, "I am doing my best." What a life statement...daily mantra...a North Star! It involves trying your hardest and performing as well as you can to achieve a goal, even if the situation is difficult. It emphasizes giving full effort and putting forth maximum sustainable exertion. Striving for peak performance and not giving up easily is the focus…pushing for the highest degree of quality, setting your sites on the marvelous and magnificent, or pursuing excellence.

It immediately registered with me that each beginning, unfolding, and the end of each day should be measured in this same manner. The motivation for today is to give my very best efforts to whatever challenges I may face. As my day unfolds, I must seek this goal of giving my best efforts…stunning or first-rate…as often as possible and certainly where necessary. Then as I prepare for a night of rest, I can reflect on the entire day by asking, "Did I give today the very best I have to offer?" “Was today’s work outstanding?” There will be painful days when my best simply isn't enough--I must grow, but there will also be times when pursuing my best exceeds all normal expectations and standards. My dear friends, that is the tension we all live with because we have not given up on others or ourselves. Living to the fullest is not an accident nor a casual stroll...it demands discipline, intentionality, and commitment to this goal of producing my very best! This is satisfactory…fulfilling… inspirational, and appropriate. So... let us consciously choose to give today our very 'best.' I believe such actions please the Lord.