Greatest Lessons from Year 32 (Part 2/5)
Taken from wildlovestory.com
Lesson 2: Good is truly the worst enemy of Best
I heard this the first time probably around 2000 from Ed Cole who was teaching at my church in Singapore. It’s been one of those lessons that I’m still trying to learn today.
Many of us want our life to be like water flowing down hill, taking the path of least resistance.
It is tempting to want life to be easy, average or good. The reason we want this could be because we are lazy, ignorant or most likely fearful of paying the price of what is best.
In the best seller Good to Great, Jim Collin explains “We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life. The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good — and that is their main problem.”
It is easier to settle for just being a good husband, father, son, leader & friend rather than be the best husband, father, son, leader & friend I could possibly be. It is a daily battle & a daily choice.
We must learn to say NO to the good to say YES to the best everyday.
Saying YES to the best does not mean becoming greedy for more. Rather, it means being more simple and focused on what truly matters in our lives.
Saying YES to the best does not mean becoming a perfectionist with unattainable standards. Rather, it means having the security to give our best every time while enjoying our journey.
As I began practicing this lesson in my life, my relationships and business changed drastically over time. I am not in a rush to be perfect, yet I demand the best from myself every single day. My wife tells me this has inspired her and others to also not settle for the good. I am grateful for my wife who has the same attitude and for my mentors who gently helped me to understand and apply this lesson.
I’ve seen far too many individuals, couples, families, teams & organizations just settle for easy, mediocre and good. In doing so, they cheat themselves and others of the best life they could had lived and given back to others.
Please do not go down this path. Choose the other road. Never settle for the good. Only settle for the best!
To say NO to the good, we must develop a strong hatred for the “good” such that only the “best” will satisfy us.
What can you say NO to and start saying YES to today?
