“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence” - Vince Lombardi Jr.
Wonder Boy has been chasing perfection since a very early age. I can still vividly recall how frustrated and upset he would get with himself when he struggled to complete something to his very exacting standards. This goes for simple motor skills like learning to use scissors to the very high standard he sets for himself when it comes to his academic pursuits.
But as the quote above states, while perfection is never truly attainable, as long as you endeavor to chase that dream, the shortfall still leaves excellence within your reach.
In our look back to 2011 we see the Boy with the principal of his elementary school moments after the end of the annual spelling bee. You will note that there is not some huge smile on his face that should go with the medal slung around his neck. He was disappointed to not be in the top handful of students. He had worked hard and expected so much from himself so despite being one of the top students in his elementary school, he was still chasing something higher.
Wonder Boy has not slowed down on his relentless chase of perfection in the years since that first photo. In fact, I would say he has redoubled his efforts each and every year of his academic career to date!
I often marvel at his work ethic and I cannot state this strongly enough. While other students were laying pool side this summer, the Boy completed six college applications as well as a number of scholarship and university honors programs applications. Now that school is back in session, he loaded himself up with honors and AP classes while some friends decided to enjoy a respite for their senior year. With that stacked load of classes, he comes home every single day with hours of homework, projects, and research topics. And he made the decision to push himself in this manner all on his own. We do not have to remind him to complete his assignments. We do not have to drag him from bed in the mornings. We do not have to organize his materials or routinely check the parent portal to make certain that he is not only completing his assignments, but also performing to his best ability. He does all of this ON. HIS. OWN.!
It's a life lesson we could only have prayed that he would pick up before leaving home for college. He is well versed in setting priorities and giving himself a schedule so that he can complete extended assignments on time, even on subjects and assignments in which he does not excel and has little innate motivation to jump into. He just gets it done!
In our photo-of-the-day, we see our sweet Boy enjoying the rewards for some of his hard work. He was just named a National Hispanic Scholar by the College Board and one of the universities to which he has applied sent him a box of swag as their way of congratulations for his hard work. His smile is small because, truth be told, he was hoping to do even better. But he has once again caught excellence while furthering his chase of perfection.
I do hope that as he dives into the deeper waters of university life that he will continue his charge on perfection, but also that he will take at least a breath here and there to enjoy the successes his achieves while on his chase. Hard work pays off - Wonder Boy is starting to see some of the fruits of his labors and I hope that it will continue to bloom throughout this season!
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