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Crossroads of the Marine Corps

Setting the standard

7 Apr 2016 | Chaplain Ron Nordan, CDR, CHC, USN; M&RA/Family Programs Chaplain Marine Corps Base Quantico

We live in a society that seems to put an enormous amount of pressure on us. To prove my point, I recently read an article regarding pre-school education opportunities that proclaimed that the best two-year-old programs have a 2½-year wait list. If you do the math, you will figure out that applying for admission is actually taking place before the child has even been born. The pressure continues from childhood, to adolescence, early adulthood and beyond. Many school systems have recently adopted policies that somewhat eases the pressure by forgoing the painful final exams. I even remember the pressure on me when I had a comprehensive examination before completing my master’s degree in music. While I passed that milestone, I can honestly say that it was not the most pleasant of experiences.

In thinking about all of this, I often wonder who is setting the standards that we are all working feverishly to complete. Not everyone can be a corporate genius, a sports phenomenon, or a Nobel Prize winner. Even if we could, I am not certain that a world full of individuals like this would be a great place to live. We are all created as individuals, with our unique skills and abilities; and each with our own unique contribution to our world. Instead of working ourselves into a frenzy to be “just like Mike,” we should spend more time in being who we are. In other words, we should set standards that are uniquely ours, because at the end of the day we are evaluated by what we have done with what we are given.

This line of thinking implies two things from my perspective. First, it is important to set goals and standards. We need to constantly work to improve ourselves and make a difference in the lives of others. Second, we need to realize that who we are is much more important than what we become. At the end of the day, we all want to lay our head on the pillow and be at peace with who we are. By setting a personal standard, the possibility for success can greatly increase.

Marine Corps Base Quantico