Or you.

Doing my best isn’t about some personal quest for perfection. That has absolutely nothing to do with this particular lesson.

Doing my best is the debt that I owe to others first, and to myself, second.

By doing my absolute best, I am showing others how much I value them; how much I love them. I am telling them in no uncertain terms that “you deserve the absolute best of me”.

You shouldn’t ever get this confused with commerce. For doing your best for others isn’t an interpersonal transaction; a “quid pro quo”. Giving others your best is never about expecting to get or getting anything in return. Giving your best to others is what you are made to do. It is the right thing to do, both for them and for you.

In doing my absolute best, I am also confirming the level of my own personal standards. It is a way of affirming what I know to be true; that I am meant to be extraordinary. The best possible version of myself. 

By making a personal commitment to do my absolute best, I can be at peace with my effort; win or lose, succeed or fail. I can “look in the mirror” and see someone I respect for giving it their best. 

By no means does this mean that I have to like the outcome. If I don’t, then I just need to work harder to do my best next time.It serves to reinforce in my heart, that my effort was the best I had to offer, when I needed to offer it.

The value of doing your best has ramifications far beyond the immediate. It sets the tone going forward, becoming synonymous with your name and your character. It precedes you everywhere you go.

By doing your best, you help ”coach up” others to aspire to always do their best. In the process, you learn what it takes to live and breathe that mindset. You gain a level of comfort operating within a personal universe marked by high expectations, dedicated to striving for optimal performance and pursuing excellence.

Once you get there, you wouldn’t want it any other way.

For them. 

Or you.