The title of my post is a quote that has been running through my mind lately. It originally came up when I was slightly disappointed with my first triathlon times. I can appreciate the spirit of the words when they are applied to sports or physical conquests. I am very skeptical of them when they are spoken about the actions that people take in their own lives.
Everyone has heard this line on TV or in the movies. It usually comes into the plot when grown children are accusing their parents of being crappy role models. Or drug addicts that can't seem to pull themselves together to be a responsible parent. When someone says this I am inclined to call 'bullshit!' on them. Did you really do the best that you could? Are we all limited to what we think is our best? Or should we be aspiring to be better than who we thought we could? Wouldn't a better response be 'I'm sorry I disappointed you and I didn't always get it right but people make mistakes'. I definitely have my parenting failures and somehow it seems that I will spend my life regretting the times when I could have done better. I know that it was not 'my best' and I am trying to be ok with that. To be human is to err.
Hmm, just re-read this post and not sure it makes sense but will post anyway.
2 comments:
Em,
Congrats on your triathlon. The fact that you want to improve your time I think is the key. Some people probably don't care; they were just happy to be there. You, on the other hand, want to strive to be the best that you can....perhaps it is people like you that accomplish the most. Good luck on your next one
--Roy
Thanks for the faith in me but I think maybe I was born with that nagging voice in my head saying that perhaps I could have done a little better. I can appreciate my physical limitations but it is my emotional ones that really fry me.
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