Perfection

The notion of perfection taunts us often.
It’s what many of us strive for yet never acquire. Yet if we did, all would be worthless would it not?
Perfection doesn’t exist. Regardless of how great you may think you are - regardless of well you complete a task – there will always be room for improvement.
I heard a quote recently from Les Brown a motivational speaker and he said - “Practice doesn’t make perfect – it only makes improvement. Perfection doesn’t exist so take it out of your consciousness”.
That stuck in my mind I guess as I’ve had a crush on perfection for as long as I can remember. It’s unrequited - and as always with unrequited love I‘ve known for a long time – I had to let it go.

The feeling that we cannot achieve perfection can be a scary one - Yet it can also set you free. In knowing that you no longer need to strive for something that in reality doesn’t exist helps you to focus on yourself – clearly. It helps you to focus on being the best you can be – today – tomorrow – and the day after that. Each day you strive to improve – to get better. Each day – you are reborn to begin again –in the knowledge that history has granted you that greatest gift - Experience. For with experience comes wisdom. Knowing that perfection doesn’t exist removes the glass ceiling and all of a sudden sky’s the limit. You are free from the restrictions of perfection – rescued from what in reality is emotional baggage...an extra weight which holds no real value.
For perfection is the end of the line. It’s the limit.

So many of us punish our selves when we fail to live up to what we feel we should be doing or should have achieved by a certain time. We may look at our flaws and punish ourselves for not being better people – not having more – earning more – being more. Tell ourselves we’ll be happier when we get more – yet more is never enough – is just a precursor to…well…wanting and needing more!. There is an upside though – especially if you’re the type of person that enjoys misery – it can however lead you to more… unhappiness!
When you feel you’re arrived – when you feel you’re perfect you seize to grow. You become stagnant – stale - you’re no longer progress – instead you regress. You become set in your ways and all the things you never wanted to be – you risk becoming. There will always be more questions than answers and I believe that to be a good thing. Remain open to the possibility that lessons can come from anyone – anywhere – anytime.
If you practice enough at whatever it is you want to be good at you will eventually become great at it even when you make mistakes. You no longer need to beat yourself with the perfection stick. There is something even greater the notion of perfection – and that... is the pursuit of goodness.