Short Read

Whatever You Are, Be a Good One

No matter what you are doing in life, make sure you are doing your best.

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“Whatever you are, be a good one.” — Abraham Lincoln

Growing up, there was one phrase heard in our household more than any other, “Any job worth doing is worth doing right.” Whether we were taking out the trash, picking rocks in the garden, or sweeping the floor, my parents expected us to do everything right the first time.

It was a lesson we sometimes missed. When we did, my parents had an interesting way of teaching us to do better.

For example, we took turns clearing the table after dinner. If my parents checked and the table was still dirty, we had to wash it five more times. If we repeated our mistake the next time, we would have to wash the table ten times. There was an inspection between every one of those ten cleanings.

Let me tell you, washing the table ten times when you want to go watch your favorite TV show is no fun.

Character and Integrity

As frustrating as those lessons were, my parents instilled in our character the desire to do things right the first time. Now, no matter what job we have, we work with integrity…