"You need to give your best son!" Mum said as I kept complaining about the hard test we had to go through in the national examination. It did not occur to me at that point that all I had to do was give what I had and get the results back. From the experience I got with examinations, I always kept grumbling about not getting good grades and others getting better.
When we pay for a service, we have an expectation. When the expectations are not met, we are often caught up in rage and a few unkind words may reveal our true hidden nature. The reason for this complaint is that we know we deserve a better treating than we have got. We realize that yes! It should have been better and must be better next time.
If you are not contented with your grades, then we have got you. What you receive is not what you paid for. The effort that you give in class and to study is not replicated in your results. You feel that you are under a spell and that you cannot be able to achieve any better. Well that’s not it.
I have realized that when we are not satisfied by the output of our work, it is because we know we can do better. There is a knob that has not yet been turned on. We probably are not operating on the most suitable gear level. That means, Yes! It should have been better and must be better next time.
He or she that gets a low grade in class but does not complain often knows that all the best was done. The student that complains about not getting good grades should restart and find the optimum level of operation. This does not mean that a student will sit and not care about the grades. Even when you sit, your conscience will prick you hard after sometime or in the future and you will accept the bitter truth that you did not give your best.
Giving your best means shelving not that which can be done today, for tomorrow. It means exploring new methods, opening the mind to learning and always willing to accept a change. The student that gives the best and leaves the rest to God is ultimately the best student of the year.
Thanks for your insights! It's so easy for us to forget that each assignment deserves our best, not merely enough effort to get by. This was a great reminder for me!
ReplyDeleteGreat insights. Very true. The lack of quoation marks at the beginning was a bit confusing. Good read, though.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It has been noted.
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ReplyDeleteVery good points. Complaining about poor grades does not get us any where. We cannot submit something that is not our best work and expect positive results. Stepping up our game for the next assignment will help us get to the results we want. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteGood insights here, Moses. As a senior, I find it hard sometimes to be motivated to give my best on every single assignment in every single class every single day. This was a good reminder for me to stick with it and know that by giving my best, I am giving God glory as a result of that.
ReplyDeleteI resonated with your statement: "I have realized that when we are not satisfied by the output of our work, it is because we know we can do better." Especially as writers, when we are dissatisfied with our creativity, we are probably not doing our best. I think you could include some specific personal examples to give more insight.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Good suggestion there. A good challenge too.
DeleteReally enjoyed this post. It's definitely proved true in my life.
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