Article December 30, 1972 Issue

The Need to Shape Up

EDWIN G. LEEVER

Who wants to? I've met very few people who would readily admit they like to shape up. Coming up to some standard of excellence is great—for the other fellow. But so often when it comes to our own shaping up, we want to drop our shortcomings in our own sweet time. Many times, though, we find, to our dismay, that it just doesn't work out that way. We find ourselves being forced to shape up at home, on the job, in the community, even at church.

Most of us are quite aware that we should be more mature—more patient, rational, resourceful, understanding, maybe less emotional, indifferent, or irritable. But sometimes we drag our feet and gloss over our shortcomings until—wham! We hit them head on in some way.

What do we do then? Justify our shortcomings? Try to blame another person? Maybe even try to straighten out that other person? Isn't there really only one way out: shape up ourselves?

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