Do your best

Thanks for the input on this, my friends. "Do your best," does not mean, "Do the best." It's not a competition, and your best doesn't have to be perfect. Yes, TBW, you have correctly identified the source. I am totally ok with "Don't take it personally," and am much too fond of good stories to ever consider telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so my word will not be impeccable. Anyhow, I forget stuff. Note to world. DON'T COUNT ON ME! I AM FALLIBLE! In fact, I forget what the forth precept was, but the "Do your best," has evoked lots of turmoil in my head.





I think we all do the best we can with what we have available, and sometimes we just don't have much available. This allows me to forgive any number of slights and mistakes in others. Someone might not have a mind that keeps track of time, and if she's only half an hour late instead of 90 minutes, it means that she has done the best she could, because she knows that waiting drives me NUTS!





There are other people who won't even try, because it won't be perfect the first time, and they miss out on a lot of learning and fun. I think my inner committee would prefer the wording of that precept to be changed to, "Give it your best shot." Means the same, but doesn't trigger the mental jimjams.