Perfection Is In Your Grasp, If Only You Redefine Your Idea Of It
I believe we are meant to be perfect. I also happen to believe that perfection is an attainable goal. In fact, I think most of us hit the mark every single day without ever really noticing.
I realize that this idea is troubling for many of us, and this is because the generally accepted definition of the word is overwhelming. We just can’t see how it could ever be within our reach. After all, is there anyone who is without flaw or blemish? The very thought makes it difficult for us to comprehend how anything, let alone anyone could be perfect.
To be perfect, we must learn to see perfection in a new light. While many see it as an end state, I choose to see it as a process. Perfection has no finish line, therefore it can never be measured. It is a constant journey made up of daily steps. Therefore, at the end of each day, if I have done my best, I can say that I am perfect. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t more growth waiting for me. It simply means that right now, I am good enough and I that I am very grateful for everything that I am learning, including the experiences that are helping me learn it.
Perfection happens right in front of our eyes over the course of a lifetime. Each experience, whether positive or negative, contributes to perfecting us in individual and unique ways. Because it happens slowly and not suddenly, we often miss seeing it. Just like any form of growth; the closer you are to it, the harder it is to detect.
The other challenge is that even when we see it, others around us may not, making us doubt that we are actually seeing it ourselves. Perfection cannot be quantified, compared or contrasted. It will always be different for me than it is for you. After all, perfection is in the eye of the beholder. As long as I hold on to some preconceived definition of perfection, I will always see myself, you, and everything else as being less than perfect. It simply cannot be measured, and as long as I try, I will always fall short. It can only be experienced in the flow of life.
Some time ago, I discovered something interesting. One day, it occurred to me that if I quit worrying about what others think of my efforts, and started focusing on what I think, then I was not only able to see myself as perfect, but also everybody else around me in the same light. I learned that because I was so worried about how others might see me that I judged them more critically. End result — no one measured up, and we all lived with the phrase: “No one’s perfect”. What a sad way to live.
Perfection happens in two simple steps. If we are paying attention, each one triggers the other. Together, they form a cycle that drives all of the improvement ever accomplished.
The first step is to examine our circumstances. This is how we gain an understanding of what it will take to live into the next level. This is how we identify what it will take to become powerful creators instead of miserable creatures of circumstance.
The second step is to act on the discoveries we make during the self-examination process. This may mean that we need to start doing some things while we stop doing other things. Either way, we must act. As long as we are in motion we are in the process of perfection.
Why do we think it is impossible to be perfect?
Simply put, we live in a world that inflates the value of success, and minimizes the value of failure. Perfection is only possible when we understand that success and failure are equal contributors. They are both vital to our growth and development. Together, they provide the opportunity for us to live to our potential: which is to be perfect.