Giving it All You've Got
Being okay when the best you've got isn't your best.
Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash
Always do your best.
On my way out the door to school, my grandmother would always say, “Do your best.”
That’s forever meant to give everything in pursuit of doing the best I was capable of doing.
That’s not a wrong approach until the day comes when you can’t do the ‘best’ as measured against your peak level of performance.
What then?
There were times in my life when I balanced a high-stress job, the illness of a child, and being emotionally present for a disabled wife, all while trying to maintain everything else.
It was the proverbial giving 110%.
Pushing beyond our capacity to maintain an artificial peak isn’t in harmony with our essence and purpose.
When we do that for too long, we lose our integrity as an integrated self. We disintegrate.
We should always do our best. That never means 110%.
When all you have left is less than your peak, and you give that, you’ve given your best.
My best varies by circumstances- only some of which I control.
Needed to be reminded of this. Thank you. I find the inner critic saying that I’m not pushing myself past my comfort zone and the compassionate self saying, you showed up and gave it your all and that was exactly what was required.
Thank you for sharing what your 110% looked like.