"We did the best we could do!"
Annie Butterfield
Feeling Good About Your Best
I walked into a large high school gym and was blasted in the
face by the pounding beat of huge speakers.
At the same time a volcano of human body heat swept past my lips and
rushed into my lungs. There were people
everywhere!
We were all shuffling along in one huge mass. My wife was one step ahead of me as we were
making our way to the bleachers when a rope was slipped between us and I was
stopped dead in my tracks. The crowd
behind me didn't stop so I was pushed forward, stretching the rope to the end
of its elasticity. I waited and watched
the top of her head drift down the river of people until she disappeared in the
sea of humanity.
The rope soon slithered away and I began moving forward
again. I looked to my left, up and down
the bleachers as I walked toward my hope of finding a seat. I saw my wife. She was seated. She was lucky. It appeared as if there were no empty spots
anywhere. I waved and pressed on.
The procession soon slowed and I ventured up some steps with
my eyes darting back and forth. Then I
spotted some familiar faces and a blank space at their side. I smiled at my fortune and asked if I could
sit. They were kind and offered me refuge. It was that refuge that made it possible for
me to watch my daughter perform.
Her group ran out onto the floor. They completed their routine, hugged each
other at the side of the floor, and squealed in delight. It was clear that they felt good about their
performance. I watched four other groups
follow one after the other. The result
looked the same. But, I wasn't the one
judging.
There was a judging panel for that. I didn't see them. I don't know who they were. I'm unfamiliar with their methods and their
rules, but I still knew they were there.
And, so did everyone else because that's why we were all there; to see
which group would be judged to be the best.
At least that's what I thought until we were walking out of the gym on
our way to the car.
As we walked, my daughter's eyes sparkled as she said, "We
did the best we could do! We hit all of
our routines! I'm really proud of our
performance!"
I watched her face. I
could feel her excitement. I knew she
was right. They performed better than I
have ever seen them perform. This was
the best of all possible results!
They had worked hard.
They put everything they had into it.
Their reward was that they knew they were the best they could be for
that day and that competition. You and I
can learn a lot from their example and experience.
Work hard every day.
Put everything you have into reaching your goals and let your reward be
the contentment that you've done the very best you could do. Then, smile.
Feel the excitement you've earned and savor the feeling of being the
best you could be for that one project or moment in time. Allow yourself to feel the peace that comes
from doing the very best you could do; after all, in the end, feeling good
about yourself is the most important judgment of all.