The extra 10%

Fact is: Not many people, when performing a task give 100%.
I know that I am guilty of this. While I was growing up, my dad used to tell me to give 110% on everything that I attempted. His reasoning was pretty sound...he said that if 70% of the world only gave 80%, you have a pretty good chance at achieving a goal if you were competing against them. BUT if the other 29.9999% were giving 100%, you might lose out on that opportunity. So by giving 110%, one can rationalize that you are pretty much assured of attaining whatever you attempt.
I would like to generalize a bit however: if you were to give JUST 10% more effort than the next person, I think that your chances would be more than fair that you would attain your goal.

If the others were to feed off of your extra 10% and up the ante, so to speak? Well things just got more interesting becuase now you have to take another look at the situation and perhaps try harder. Would that, when you achieve your goal not make success that much sweeter?

NOW, take the competitive aspect out of it.
What if you were to give your extra 10%....but to give, not to GET, but to give.
If you were to give just 10% more than you do now (time, money, resources..whatever). The nature of the beast (in this case human nature) would indicate that others would try a bit harder to attain the same goal. This is not a selfish idea of "oh look at me! Look at how much ______ I gave!" No. It is the same unspoken principle as above. Challenging others to excellence, without a word, calling people to do more.
Leaders, in my mind will always lead by example. The captain of the football team can hardly inspire others to work hard, by sitting and eating doughnuts in the weight room...any more than as Christians, we can tell people to do great and Godly things, without attempting the feats ourselves.
Step up to the plate. Give your 15 innings instead of the 9.
Step out.
Give an extra 10% for one day. See if you not only feel better, but take a step back and see if the fire spreads. It is an interesting phenomenon....sometimes, it is a slow burn, and other times it takes off like gas from a match.
Try it.
Step up.
Step out.
Bring it.

ugh.

So two brithday celebrations at my office in the same day. If I don't see a piece of pie or cake or cookies again in a MILLION years, it would be too soon.
But then again, there is always space for dessert.
"Hey someone pass the ice cream please."
ugh. Too full.

HAHA

Don't you love how sometimes, when you think that your life can't get ANY busier, it does? LOVE IT. Tis life, I know. Jesus will see me through any trial.
I just find it mildly ironic that when things are crazy busy...more things that you were hoping would happen for months previously, happen. Bad timing? Nah. But I truly find it funny. I actually laughed out loud at work today when that thought hit me.
When it rains, it pours. All right. Bring it. I know that if I keep my faith in Jesus, keep doing the right things and pray, things will turn out how they should. Not according to me and how I want it to work, but I know that the big man upstairs has this all mapped out....this storm will pass.

Tired

Do you know that groggy feeling when you first wake up? Supposedly, it starts to fade after the first couple of minutes after you get outta bed. This morning it seems to be chasing me. I am on my 3rd cup of liquid wake (coffee btw) up and it is just hanging over me.
Maybe it is allergies? Or the deprivation of my internet last night...maybe it was the nail biter of a Cubs game (Yess! they won!) that I raced home to watch....and ended up listening to on the radio cause the cable was out. Did I mention that Comcast is a bane on society? No? Hmmm, well let me just tell you. J/K.
So the ONE good thing about listening to the Cubs on the radio is Pat and Ron.
The following is not meant to offend anyone, I just found it funny that Ron had the bravado(not sure if it is that or he just wasn't thinking) to put this on the air:
Pirates pitcher Meek goes to the mound in the top of the 12th inning.
Ron Santo: He's a little heavy. (Talking about Meeks)
Ron Santo: Yep, he has a belly.
Pat Hughes: Yes Ron.
Pat Hughes: In the stat book it...it really doesn't list a weight for him.
Pat Hughes: It just lists that he has a belly.

Ya gotta love those two.

NCAA Championship

Yah....I don't watch it. But I couldn't have if I wanted to tonight. I am quite fed up with Comcast cable. I just got signal back on and I still have a ton of stuff to do. One of the downsides to online schooling I guess.
I mean, these things happen...
Funny how rejected and out of sorts we feel when something that we have come to depend on doesn't work, huh. Happens with people too.
One of my biggest fears is letting people down. I hate that feeling I get when I let someone down. Self imposed guilt maybe?
Anyways...short post tonight, I have way too much to do.
What makes your stomach turn inside out?
bleh. I soooo don't like that feeling. Kinda like when you show up for school on test day...and not just "not studied" but completely blanked on the fact that you had a test.
uh.