Getting an A+ Is Overrated

REVEALED: I may seem brave, but there was actually a fence between me and the horse.. 
William Zinsser in his book "On Writing Well" says:

"We are a culture that worships the winning result: the league championship, the high test score. Coaches are paid to win, teachers are valued for getting students into the best colleges. Less glamorous gains made along the way - learning, wisdom, growth, confidence, dealing with failure - aren't given the same respect because they can't be given a grade."

Glamour sounds like a 1950s word, but it still lurks in the background of American culture today. The glamour of a crisp certificated certifying that you passed your exam with 97% is something you'll probably frame on your wall. You put time and effort into receiving that A4 piece of paper. Imagine putting all that effort into something that can't be measured or "certified." Growing love, grace, perseverance, in your heart is more important than an exam, but unfortunately I've never seen anyone get a certificate for that.

God loves to see his children (us) achieving great results academically, but I have an intimation that he cares more about the qualities in the heart. I won't get a certificate for praying for people, getting up early to read my bible, and sorting out the issues within myself. God will judge me when I get to heaven. I won't be able to hide behind my paper qualifications. He's more concerned about what's happening on the inside - whether you have grace, love, peace, etc, in your heart.

Why are you studying? I'm studying because I want to learn, so I can become a wise adult, and to prepare myself for what God will call me to do. Why are you sitting a dance exam? So you can get a certificate? I'm sitting it so I can develop the gift that God has given me.

I'm sitting on my bed, with my cat, and I suddenly realise that my priorities are all wrong.

Madison xx

19 comments:

  1. Beautiful pic. The horse has a sage look in it's eyes like it has just read your post and completely agrees with you. [Nods wisely].

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful!!

    Lilusvoyage.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. One day we all grow up and realize that the only way we can be happy is not through external validation like pieces of paper that show our grades or the amount of money we earn but through our own self validation. <3 Live fully according to your own values, I think that's all that matters.

    Velveteencockroach

    ReplyDelete
  4. The more we achieve in terms of material successes the more we want, so that happiness is never reached. Beautiful post :)
    http://www.zukiniz.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well written. I know it's important in life to have qualifications, especially when you want to be a doctor, lawyer, etc people want you to be the best that money pays for. But it is also important to be an A+ individual. I have known people who are smart, make good money but are not nice as human beings. In that aspect, they failed.

    http://www.bisousnatasha.com/gooseberry-intimates/

    ReplyDelete
  6. hello :)

    My name is Marina and I started my blog about travels :)

    I have an instagram where I been posting my photos but now I went for an other level))

    you can check my instagram: lacerti

    my blog is www.moiselle.org

    I love writing and blogging, photgraphy a lot :)

    hope you will like and we can be friends and share links on each other as well:)

    my fb is: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1254203519

    have a good day ::))))and a good mood :)http://www.bymybedside.com/logout?d=https://www.blogger.com/logout-redirect.g?blogID%3D5852317102441556528%26postID%3D5562582674316589391

    ReplyDelete
  7. wow so beautiful!

    Ana ♥
    http://aruivablog.blogspot.pt/

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have noticed that this is very deep and it helped me decide what I want to do when it comes to pick my GCSE choices. I love it.

    P.S. I have started a blog recently, it would mean the world to me if you could maybe check it out if you have time or something - tingofawesomeness.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  9. i love this post! well said Madison!

    http://thisgirlsobsessions.blogspot.co.uk/ i started a blog and only have 1 post. i am hoping to start blogging everyday! im looking for some feedback on my post so i know where my good and bad points are... Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I completely agree as I am expected to get a lot of A*s and I don't believe it is as important as everyone makes it out to be, although I think that if you want to go to uni, get a good job etc then you have to do well in exams. You have a couple of hours to write down what an examiner wants, and that can affect how your life pans out. Nobody seems to be bothered about all the other stuff.

    ps. I've just started a new blog, feel free to have a look
    http://jodysmusing.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete

© BY MY BEDSIDE
Design:Maira Gall.