Make It The Best You Can
published on
Two anecdotes for today:
One
Two days ago I got a hair cut. I looked at my hair dresser in the mirror and watched her cut, trim and measure my hair, meticulously, with great precision like she does every single time. She isn’t the most ambitious person in terms of career and very content, but she never lets me go unless she’s one hundred percent happy with her work. And even when you think she would be finished, she takes a step back, takes another look, grabs her scissors again and starts to make more fine adjustments. Removing tiny hairs, fixing small volumes, things an untrained eye would never see. At least most of the time, I don’t.
Everything has to be perfect and when it eventually is, you can see her facial expression change, she smiles and say’s “Finished”. You can tell, she really means it.
If every one in this world would work like she does, the world would definitely be a much better place.
Two
Whenever I go to Japan, I’m impressed by the food. Not just great food, but the general quality of food. There is this thing about Japan, where you can get good (or at least decent) food anywhere, and it’s especially apparent in places like highway stops or even in the ski resort restaurants up on the mountain. The food is always (very) edible and prepared in a way you can somehow taste the passion.
I think people in Japan have a different relationship with food than many other places. What I think mostly, is that no matter where in Japan people prepare food, they are trying to prepare a good meal, no matter the limitations and constraints. It makes a lot of sense if you really think about it:
If you are already spending your time on something you have to do, you might as well make it as great as you can. Someone else will be grateful and appreciate the effort you put into it. Doing the best you can will also make yourself feel better, because you care. But most of all you are making your time worthwhile, instead of just using it up.