Giving it 110%

Hi dear sisters ...... haha, BIG warning! This is a kind of boring philosophical piece. If you doze off while reading the words, hehe, just look at his handsome Bassini pictures, huh? Since I haven't posted this last batch, I figure I might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone :) Here it goes .....

In today’s competitive society where often high achievers are being rewarded and words like ‘ambitious’ and ‘aggressive’ boast positive connotation, you can easily comprehend why world records of all sorts are being broken and young people are constantly striving to push past their own limits. Thus, what you often hear "I’ll give it my 110%!" has become a new unwritten principle for excellence.


Surely, I don’t think anyone sets out to do a task and wants to do a bad job, everyone wants to gives it their best shot and be successful. The fact is : life is hinged on equilibrium. When one extracts 110% out from oneself, somewhere from within has to yield that extra 10%, so that means something is suffering and operating only at a 90% capacity! (so far so good? got the Math right? I know I'm confused already :) That something could be one’s own physical being, mental health, or maybe even the relationship with the loved ones around!


Oh dear, I hope you don’t feel I am preaching or anything as it is not my intention. In fact, I started to contemplate on what our very observant gosijo has thoughtfully shared regarding our handsome prince’s work ethic :

"Another change that seems very recent is wuri Yong Joon’s new realization that pushing himself past his physical limits is not, after all, the best way of doing his very best at all time. I know we’ve admired him greatly for his heroic work ethic. ...... for him to come to the conclusion that “This time I have also learned something from the experience. Managing one’s health to not get sick is part of “to exert one’s full strength to do their utmost"."


Reflecting on what I have been through these past 2 years in Japan. I am like a big (well, more like bulky :) dry sponge, thirsty for any new knowledge and philosophy in the unique Japanese cultures. What normally takes the Japanese a whole lifetime to learn and perfect, I am naïve and inadequate enough to attempt. Needless to say, my story resembles a non-swimmer trying to go upstream against the strong Niagara River currents. Hehe, I can't tell you the ending yet whether I drown under the mighty Fall or reach the destination, you'll know when I leave Japan :) Indeed, trying one’s best doesn’t mean one has to exert to the point past 110%. The threshold for everyone and every task is different, the key is to know one’s limitations, be it personal, circumstantial or environmental.


As Yong Joon realized after his abrupt departure from Japan because of Sepsis disease, knowing the limit of his body is very crucial. When the signals are there indicating dangerous signs of stress and sickness, one needs to stop immediately to re-evaluate and re-prioritize. To myself, I always feel trying my best means at the end of my day or my life, there is nothing to regret about. (Yeah I know it’s not realistic either, who do not have something they don't regret in their lives?) But more importantly, will I learn, like Yong Joon, the 'healthy' way to exert our full strength to do our utmost? And to accept that 100% is good enough!

Hehe, if you reach this point and are still awake, thank you for reading :) Haha, this is just a drill, as the next post will be philosophical too, sorry!

Pictures original from BYJGallery by style