The Quest for Excellence...

My mother and father always demanded that I do my best. When I was younger I resented it. I didnt understand why other kids could slack off, and enjoy more of their free time when I always had to work so hard and was held to a higher standard. It frustrated me. They never backed down, so I was forced, coerced through a series of consequences that it would be better do work hard and have happy times at home. Life was simply not pleasant if my parents were not getting good reports from my teachers. I will never forget my freshman year of HS, before I transferred to St. Marks, I had a B+ in biology, not on a report card, not on a progress report...somewhere in the middle. A B+ because I had not turned in a homework assignment or two. The teacher, knowing my parents because they both worked in the system, informed them that I was missing assignments. This missing work was unacceptable to my parents, and as a result I was forced to give up my lead in the school play in order to focus on my schoolwork. Can you tell there is still a twinge of resentment there?

I do have a point. I resented how hard they pushed but somewhere along the way their demands for excellence became part of my make up, and I resolved to never expect less than the best from myself. This drives people in my life crazy at times. It means I work too many hours, and that I bring my work home during the times I am not just staying endlessly at work to get things done to my satisfaction. But I am intrinsically motivated. I look around, listen to television, the news, the younger generation and all I see are a bunch of people who expect to get something for everything they do. They are not satisfied with just the 'good feeling' that comes from doing something excellently..they want a reward. They want a banner, or a pat on the back...no..they dont WANT that..they EXPECT it.

We no longer seem to be a society who is on a quest for excellence. We are on a quest for what we can get...constantly asking "what have you done for me lately."

I hope this trend turns around...there arent enough rewards to go around, and the apathy that will follow is incomprehensible to me.