This is the front of one of my son’s new back-to-school t-shirts. (In case you can’t see the photo, it says, “Plans for Today…Wake Up. Brush Teeth. Be Awesome!”)

This makes perfect sense to my 11-year-old. I mean c’mon, what else would he be? He just seems to understand these things, which is why we only need to remind him to “be your best.” I remember my own mom saying, “If you just do your best, that’s all anyone can ever ask of you.”

It’s great advice, isn’t it? I wonder when I realized that the second part isn’t always true. The truth is, sometimes people will ask much more of you than your best. They will want things done faster than you can do them, with extra bells and whistles that you just may not know how to provide. They will want you to live up to their expectations, to be THEIR idea of the best, not yours. Has that ever happened to you?

It struck me last week that regardless of expectations, I really don’t know how to be someone else’s best. I only know how to be my own best. I can wake up, brush my teeth, and be awesome—my OWN awesome—and that’s all I can be. What’s more, I’m pretty sure that’s all anyone can be. Mom was right about that (big surprise there).

I hope you have a great week doing your best and being awesome!