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Restless

November 2, 2011

Being "good enough" is not good enough.

Switchfoot recently released an album named Vice Verses that has struck a chord with my life (pardon the pun). Here's the chorus from one of the album's songs.

No, I'm not alright I know that I'm not right A steering wheel doesn't mean you can drive A warm body doesn't mean I'm alive

No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
Feel like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive

-- Switchfoot, Thrive

There's a scene in the movie Courageous where one character says, "You've been a good enough father." To which the second replies, "I don't want to be a 'good enough' father." Later, that same character says,

"I don't feel like I started well. I want to finish well."

There are many areas of my life where I don't want to settle for "good enough."

  • I don't want to be a "good enough" husband.
  • I don't want to be a "good enough" father.
  • I don't want to be a "good enough" friend.
  • I don't want to be a "good enough" boss.
  • I don't want to be a "good enough" employee.
  • I don't want to be a "good enough" software developer.
  • I don't want to be a "good enough" musician.
  • I don't want to be a "good enough" mentor.
  • I want to thrive, not just survive.

I believe there's no such thing as standing still. You're either pushing yourself forward, or you're drifting backwards.