Like Trees Reach Towards The Sun

We, all of us, are growing towards something. We are all becoming something everyday. We are all becoming someone everyday. I believe that we don't stop growing towards something or becoming someone even after death. Growth is something that happens everyday, even if we feel as though we shrunk on a specific day. I don't just go through situations, I GROW through situations (I'd like to thank the maker of those stupid encouragement posters in school) So also this must apply to life...I don't just GO through life, I GROW through life. It only makes sense right? We can decide what to grow in everyday and we can also let the common flow of life direct us. I wake up and I want to be a better leader that day...what is stopping me? NOTHING! We control our decisions and what we make of everyday. Someone beats you that day...go home and figure out why. Don't dwell on Why Them? Dwell on Why not me?
My pastor once asked everyone in the crowd that Sunday to raise their hand as high as possible...he paused and all our hands like feet of synchronized swimmers went up...now raise them higher he said. Without blinking all of our hands went higher. Look at yourselves he said, I asked you to raise your hands as high as possible and then when asked to raise them higher they went up higher. Wow...I was blown away. How often are we asked to give everything and after doing so we go home realizing we had so much more to give? My pastor gave the perfect example of how we live our lives. We say our hand is as high as it can go but is it really? We say that we have grown into the best we can be but have we really? Nobody is perfect and nobody is expected to be. What does that say about our society? Our best should be DEMANDED, not cautiously asked for. When our best is demanded we should give it. Only then can we truly grow higher through each day. Now I know that my grades don't show me giving my best. I have nearly all A's but nearly isn't good enough. What is keeping me from having all A's? Honestly I am just being lazy. Just getting by with the lowest standard necessary. My senior year however has been entered with a different perspective. I want to get good grades this year and I know that there is nothing holding me back. I come home saying I'm happy with an 85 in Algebra because I'm terrible at math...no I don't want that anymore, today I want a 95 and nothing is keeping from it. So what if I'm bad at math...get better at it. Tutoring, friends, anything to help me with math. I want to see the results of me doing my best. No more asking me I demand myself to give my all. I think I've grown enough but I'm not nearly there. I have so much more to go and nothing is stopping me. My hand is up as high as it can go...is yours?