The Best Is Not Always Good Enough

One of my 80’s retro favorite is “Just Once” by James Ingram from Quincy Jones album The Dude. Apart from the nostalgic emotional value attached to the whole song, the lyrics also left a strong impression on me:

I did my best,

but I guess my best wasn't good enough,

'Cause here we are back where we were before…

It’s not the melancholic meaning of the lyrics that got to me but the far-reaching statement of the phrase – did the best but it was not good enough. My variation of that phrase “The Best Is Not Always Good Enough” was used at one period of time as my e-mail signature tagline. It was for some sort of reminder, for me as well as to anybody who read it, on one of realities in life.
It is open for discussion but personally, the best is not always good enough provide two clear meanings to me.
The first is that no matter how much effort you put into doing something – giving it your best – it will not always be good enough; whether to accomplish something, or worse still, not good enough to satisfy certain people. Sometimes it does, but don’t put your hopes to high in case it does not. Doesn’t mean that it’s not value-added for you to do the best; by all means please do, but do it for yourself, do it for you to achieve your tasks. Just don’t do it to satisfy other people, because it will not always be good enough.
Secondly, any self-proclaimed feeling that you are one of the best in the field does not cut the mustard if other relevant people do not feel the same, and therefore not good enough for any special considerations. So, one of the things you can do if you’re caught in that kind of life torrent is to brave the current and be the best swimmer that you feel you are. There are bound to be outlying branches for you to latch on to, or an unexpected helping hand to pull you out of the stream. Eventually you will be good enough. Who cares if not always because you are considered the best. It’s one of life’s reality, people. Some people may chose to go against the current; well, it’s their choice and at their own risk.

“I gave my all, but I think my all may have been too much,
'Cause Lord knows we're not getting anywhere,

Seems we're always blowing whatever we got going,
And seems at times with all we've got,We haven't got a prayer.
Just Once…”

Of course, the tagline of “The Best Is Not Always Good Enough” was prominently used during a previous period. A period full of mid-life angst and missed opportunities. It’s all in the past now. I’ve done the best that I felt were good enough for me. I’ve felt better for not being regarded as the best, but am now good enough to do the things that only the best can do to accomplish what needs to be done.
I’m “A Better Man” now.

First Blog

Let the record shows that this is my first blog of my entire life. It is a whole new and different ball game than committing own musings onto paper or wordprocessor, or verbalizing mental logs during interactions or bonding sessions. Oh yes, the old and tired cliche of "better late than never" is ringing in my head right now.

Joining the blogging bandwagon now - hopefully nothing radical would turn out. Would just start with personal musings on issues - life introspectives, music retrospectives, sports perspectives; the works. Not sure what sort of, or what category of comments would turn up but that is beside the point. The point is, like Billy Idol used to say "I'm talking to myself, oh oh oh, I'm talking to myself, oh oh oh..."