“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” – Steve Prefontaine

How good do we have to be? How much is enough? We all are given certain gifts, areas of life that spark our energy, that get our juices flowing. Those things for which we need no discipline, that hold so much inherent joy that our souls spring forward to embrace it. This is our calling, our destiny. While it needs to be intelligently applied, there is much truth in the saying, “Do what you love and the money will follow.”

We all have greatness of some sort within us. It is in finding and honing our greatness that we find meaning in life.

“Best” has many meanings: It can mean best parent, best spouse, best community member, best friend, the best you that you can be. It can also mean best at balance: Best overall, perhaps master of none but competent in all roles, best “jack of all roles.” It would be difficult to over emphasize the need for balance, as every life needs meaningful time set aside for relaxation, recreation, recuperation, renewal. The finest machine needs downtime for maintenance and occasional overhaul and even the richest soil needs to lie fallow at times and recharge. Human beings do as well.

“Best” speaks to me most strongly in terms of “personal best.” I cannot always aspire to be the best in the world at a particular task or role but I always can aim to beat my personal best, do better today and tomorrow than I did yesterday.

What is your best? Where are you giving less than your best? Is there anywhere in your life are you sacrificing your gift?