For years I have wrestled with my desire for excellence. I strive to be my personal best (most of the time) and hold all the people around me to a high standard. Sometimes that means I am demanding and pushy. Most of the time I have made peace with the fact that I am a person who is driven, and not everyone else likes that. Usually I am okay with it, but not all the time. In my low moments I bemoan being a "pot stirrer" and try to change who I am. This is a frustrating and fruitless endeavour.
Recently I read a blog post on The Teaching Game blog that gave me pause. Katie, the author of the blog, writes that her mentors (those who have inspired or encouraged her to reach further and grow) have had some traits in common. Those traits were things the I wrestle with in myself. And it really encouraged me.
Katie's comment that her mentors have been the one person that awes and annoys everyone really hit home. I know that I annoy people. I don't want to, but excellence really matters to me and I just can't bite my tongue that much. And I love to learn as much as I love yummy shoes and chocolate - those are needs that are undeniable for me.
So I am trying to be polite and kind. But forget apologizing for being me. If you don't like that I want the very best for my students and that I am going to keep asking questions and challenging the status quo - go jump in the lake. Because I answer only to my Creator who requires my personal best every day. And I take great joy in the striving for it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
'go jump in the lake', really? That’s harsh especially from a 'Christian'. Perhaps the way people are acting towards you isn't because of your "striving for excellence" but the fact that they are seeing you as a selfish, two-faced, passive aggressive person and that's why they're acting the way they do.
I am really sorry that my comment hurt you. I did not intend it to be flipping anyone off, but rather a light way to express that I am trying to be less defensive about the characteristics that I struggle with in my own personality. If I caused offense with that, please forgive me.
In response to your criticisms; you may well be right. I don't know how people see me. I am for sure selfish. It is a nasty part of my humanity. If I have been selfish in my relationship with you(if you are someone in my life rather than a random stranger, please forgive me. If I have been two-faced or passive aggressive to you, again, please forgive me. I was not aware that either of those are parts of the way that I interact with other people, and I very much want to change it if that is so. If you are someone who I have hurt in my daily life, please talk to me and let me repair our clearly broken relationship.
Post a Comment