That's a tough question. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how many layers there were to that question. What is good? What is good enough? Am I striving to just be good at something? Am I good enough at what I'm doing? Or is it just good enough that I tried? As the week of the Horsemanship Clinic progressed, I was told when I finished my turn demonstrating what we learned each day that I did "good." It kind of felt like I was back in high school where I always got a B when I really wanted an A. It is disheartening to put everything you have into something and just get a "good." But that leaves room for you to do better, and that's the real answer to the question. Is good, good enough? It's only good enough if your proud of that "good" grade and content with the outcome. But do you want to do it again? Do you feel that desire to prove that you can do it better? Then good may be good enough, for now.....but next time it will be better. And the time after that it will be even better. I'm happy with good, but I want to be better. So I guess being good at something gives me the motivation to keep moving forward and continuing to follow my dreams.
I want to be better at horseback riding and connecting and communicating with the horses that I ride. But as I struggled with the feelings that my horsemanship skills were "just good," I realized that I was struggling with "just being good" on so many other levels. I find myself constantly trying to do better not just with my horsemanship, but with how I interact and connect and communicate with all the people that are in my life.
Sometimes we do have to settle for certain things to be just good enough. When I find myself wondering if I can do it all (business owner, veterinarian, mother, wife, daughter, friend.....), I realized that for some of the little things that make up those parts of my life I have to settle for them to be done at a level of "just good enough." Like the clean house, and the papers all over my desk, and my email inbox....I definitely need to have them done to a level of good enough. That makes more time to focus on being better at the important stuff. I want to be better for my family and friends and patients and for myself. When I find myself feeling disheartened and wondering if I'm a good enough mother/wife/ daughter/friend/veterinarian, I try to take the perspective that it isn't about being good, or good enough, it's about always striving to do better and to be better. So as I continue on this crazy trail ride that we call life, I will try my best to continue to be my best self.
Have you had times when good was good enough? Or times that something was good but you were inspired to do better? I'd love for you to share your stories in the comments. <3
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