Thought for the day, 7 November 2022

A reflection, as my big kid does university exams, and my wee guy faces his first NCEA exam tomorrow. I said to the wee guy right now, 'Just do your best'. Then I cringed a little bit. When I was growing up, I understood 'Just do your best' as a thing said to kids not expected to do well. Not gonna lie, I ... heard it a few times myself.

Then I became a grown up and a late bloomer. Despite not having fancy marks, I ended up being a manager. I’ll let you in on a secret.

These days, if I ever got a tattoo, it would be 'Just try your best' in a frickin LOVE HEART. On my bum, maybe. Over a few years, I've worked with people who don't try. I've worked with people who went through life so smart they didn't have to try, and when shit got tough, and trying was called for, the stickability wasn't there.

Who are the raddest people? People who try because they have personal integrity, whether or not they're going to succeed, because it's the right thing to do. They care about the impacts of their mahi on other people. They've fallen on their arses a few times, and it's kept them humble. They've learned how to dust themselves off and have another go, even when it hurts. I'll work with them any day of the week.

This one’s for the strugglers, the toilers, the ones who don't feel good enough. The ones who feel that anxiety in their throat, whether they're sixteen or sixty.

Good luck with your exams, or whatever hard thing you're doing, without the expectation of easy success. That's when your character shows. They say God loves a trier, and they might be taking the mickey, but I'm not. And I'm confident that God, also a mid-career manager, agrees with me.

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