Doing our best is not enough?

1. When we say we have done our best, does that mean we feel we are the best of all people and do not need any further improvement?

Oprah Winfrey said, "Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." .

When we said we have done our best, it was probably the best at that moment with the available resources, times , energy and experience. But we can do better tomorrow and more better the day after. We still need improvement as what is considered best now, may not be considered best in next month.

2. When we say we have done our best, are we using it for excuse for when we fail, we hope we won't be blamed for our failure?

Abraham Lincoln said "I do the very best I know how. The very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out alright, what is said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."

We should never try to use anything as an excuse for our failures. Anything. Period.

Doing our best is the good journey, having fail or succeeded is the outcome. Without the good journey, there will be no good outcome at all.

3. People do not want to care whether we have done our best if we have failed?

Marian Wright Edelman said "You're not obligated to win. You're obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day."

Anita Hill said "You can't always expect a certain result, but you can expect to do your best."

Maybe someone people do not care, but I bet there are some who do. Sometimes, life is not just about winning, it is about contributing to the community and caring for others. And what actually determine whether we are winning or not? Our bank accounts balance? Our high-rank position in the company? Our big house? A pat on our back that we are doing great?

Most importantly is we can admit we have failed when we really have failed. And we tell ourselves that we have tried our best, not as an excuse but as an understanding on what makes us fail. Maybe we are just not cut out for it or maybe some external factors are causing the failures. If we see that we cannot really succeed even when we try out best, maybe it is best we call it quit.

In the story about the lighthouse, somethings just won't move and we have to go around it.

3. Doing our best is not enough?

Helen Keller (Out of the Dark) said "When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."

Eleanor Roosevelt said "You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give."

If doing our best is not really enough, why should we try at all? After all it is the best we can do, and if it does not bring us success, why bother to try? Why struggle to do our best when we can actually try to do just enough.

Of course, doing our best does not always lead to positive result. But if you do not do our best, shall we wait for us to get lucky and suddenly hit the jackpot. Even if we want to hit the jackpot, we also need to go out and buy the lottery first.

What if people tell you "Buying the lottery is not enough to get you to win the jackpot". Of course , it is well understood, you definitely need a lot of luck too. But what else can you do besides buying the lottery in order to win the jackpot?

4. When we hear "doing our best is not enough" and we get hurt, it is because we have a big ego? Also when our ego is under attack, it is good because it keeps our ego in check so that we can improve?

Harold Ruopp said "Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that we give our best at each level of experience."

Booker T. Washington said "I believe that any man's life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement, if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day, and as nearly as possible reaching the high water mark of pure and useful living."

So many motivation gurus and books are out there to encourage people to give their best to the world. Yes, maybe doing our best is not enough, but does it help to discourage people from doing their best?

Life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement, NOT discouragement in order for him to do his level best each day.

In Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People", he said we always should try to influence and win people by not criticizing, not accusing and definitely not focusing on the negative aspect of the person.

How about we just respect and appreciate those who have already try their best even if we do not hit the home run, can we?