As I keep saying, I'm an English professor, teaching Freshman Composition. Every term I see students doing substandard work, ignoring basic instructions, and trying to get away with texting as opposed to joining the class. Now, we have the conception that success in school is a matter of intellect, that the smartest students are going to be the most successful students. I have to say, I don't think that is true. The raw brainpower that's required to do well in college is neither impressive nor rare. On the other hand, not all smart students get great grades or even pass. There are always some reasons that are beyond the control of students: money problems, family dysfunction, illnesses and accidents, baby daddy hassles, and a host of others. But then there are the lazy students, the ones who can't be bothered to take notes or even pay attention, and if they do their work, it's last minute and low effort.

The lesson I've learned from this is that success at school is more a matter of effort than raw ability. Not all of us are born geniuses or prodigies, and some of us actually have to work for a living, so there's not the time to invest thousands of hours in an artistic or philosophical pursuit. Still, regardless of our circumstances, improvement and development are in everyone's grasp. We are constantly and consistently offered opportunities to do better, but because they surround us so completely, we are often blind to the challenge. “The fish does not see the water,” say the Eastern philosophers, and we do not see every opportunity in our lives, because everything in our lives is an opportunity to improve them.

But to see this, to exploit this, takes time, dedication, effort, and understanding. It is a continual exploration of a person's own life and existence that has no true ending until death, a journey undertaken by philosophers, pilgrims, and artists. Luckily, there are ways for all of us to start this journey, to discover our own truths and realizations. It is an individual journey, but there are universal methods. One, I think, is to always do the best job you possibly can.

It's not just a matter of effort. We can all try really, really hard and get nowhere. You can spend a lifetime pushing against a door that says pull, but unless you learn from your past mistakes, you're going to keep pushing that door. We need to learn from our mistakes. There's nothing original in this, but that's because this is something humanity figured out a long, long time ago. The problem is that we don't apply this idea enough.

Most of life is spent doing the same things over and over again, and most of the time we find this a horrible enough fact that we do anything to avoid it. We have a million distractions, and more are constantly being invented, all in a quest to find a way to escape our lives entirely. Granted, there are boring and repetitive tasks in all our lives, but even they can have depth and meaning, at least to a degree. When we try to do our best at everything, from creating art to folding laundry, those mindless chores can become a bit more mindful. The point is, we have more to us than a life spent wishing we were elsewhere.

When our daily activities take on meaning and interest, life becomes a series of answerable mysteries, a constant stream of wonder and information. This change in perspective doesn't come easily or quickly, but doing our best all the time is a good start. We start with the obvious and make our way to the obscure. There are our tasks, from cleaning to cooking, and there are our arts, from painting to dancing, but beyond that are a world of smaller decisions that usually go unnoticed, like how we react to a stranger sitting next to us on the train, or whether to observe the timing of the traffic lights. By paying close attention to the big, obvious things, we learn the focus that allows us to investigate the hidden and subtle. By constantly asking questions of our actions, we learn to ask more questions, and we also lose a bit of the thoughtless arrogance that is all too easy to assume. But don't worry, there's always more.

Our ability to learn and think is the engine that drives our existence, the very thing that fundamentally separates us from all other life on earth, yet, for so many of us, it is something beneath the surface, something confusing or boring enough to neglect. People complain about how Americans take voting for granted and we thoughtlessly ignore a process so fundamental to our way of life, but that is nothing compared to how we ignore thought itself.

Sometimes we are told what and when our tests will be, but often times, the real tests come when we're not ready, and the only thing we have to fall back on are past results, past lessons, and a strong focus. Imagine you do a half-assed job cleaning the bathroom and your friend unexpectedly brings over the new potential love of your life, who just happens to have to pee. While it might not totally alter your destiny, you will have really, really wished you scrubbed just a little harder.

You know what it feels like when other people do not do their best. You have been the one walking into a dirty bathroom. We have all suffered for other people's laziness, apathy, and ignorance. Sometimes, it can be annoying, lost time or wages, but when it comes to doctors and lawyers, it can mean a shortened life or limited freedoms. When our elected officials get lazy, corrupt, or confused, entire populations can and do suffer.

If we are going to retain our right to complain without hypocrisy, we must constantly hold ourselves to the standards we need of others. It can be difficult, annoying, and mind bogglingly frustrating, but the rewards are worth it; the struggle is worth it. We are worth it.

I know, not preachy at all, huh?