ALWAYS GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT!

If my life had a mantra or a slogan it will be, “always give it your best shot”. These words have stuck with me for the two(2) decades that I have been on this earth. I didn’t stumble on this mantra: it was a statement my grandma used to make to encourage us to give our best at school.

Every morning, she would ask us to reecho the words back to her before we left for school.  As a little boy, it was fun to repeat those words back to her, but as a teen, I felt that it was a silly exercise that seemed uncool for my status.

 Thus, I have never attached any seriousness to these words. I  had often taken them for granted and not cared much about it. I would occasionally roll my eyes, each time she made us repeat the phrase back to her. I only repeated it as a favour to her and not because I believed in those words.

My entire perspective on these expression changed when my grandma died, and I was tasked with writing her a tribute. I forgot about everything she ever told me, but that famous phrase. I began thinking about it seriously and how I could apply it to my life.

 Eventually, I realized these were not  mere words, but a powerful proclamation that could motivate me to do my best at all time. 

Giving it your best shot to me means a person must do all they can to achieve their dreams and goals. It is not just a mantra, but, a mindset to always attach preparation, planning, hard work and dedication to a particular thing. It makes me sad that it took the death of my grandma to understand this statement, but I am glad I do now.

As a young adult, these are words I repeat to myself every day and I can testify that it motivates me to always give my best regardless of the task at hand.