Perfection wait on an open palm

For a moment I could consider the fact that the strive for perfection is needed in our lives. For how would we learn and grow and feel satisfaction if we do not learn to acquire mastery of a chosen skill?

From birth it is our mothers who so often engage in us the need to be perfect. They want the best in us, and strive to push us into a direction of perfection. But for some, having to be ‘perfect’ injects fear into even starting. We fear taking that risk into the unknown, fear making mistakes leading to failure and fear that we will be compared to somebody better and so we even start to doubt our own abilities. We stop ourselves to such an extent that we enter a state of denial and even stop engaging the thought that life could be more meaningful if we pursued that activity or that path we had always wanted to pursue.

Some people are able to overcome their fears. Therefore, striving for perfection is a goal they work towards. Is striving for perfection healthy for these people when it acts as a goal - an end to the means? I guess it is if we don’t forget that it is the means to the end that can give us great satisfaction and make our lives meaningful. If we subconsciously bypass the means we come to an end i.e. perfection the end of a journey without really having travelled that journey.

So can we only experience satisfaction through achieving perfection? Can happiness only be found in mastery of a certain skill? Can we not be happy and satisfied with less than perfect?

Forget the end I say, let’s focus on the path…everything we do on this path, given we apply full integrity and attention to our activities, can be meaningful. A tune played on one string of a guitar can be tuneful to the ear if we give it all we have. Does it mean we become ‘perfect’ guitarists? No it means we bring meaning to each activity and enjoy stopping by and smelling each flower along our path. A scribble that fills a piece of paper can be meaningful and insightful if we are our integral selves.

Mastery create no more longing
Awareness open my wings
Perfection wait on my open palm
Integrity give me your energy
Humble creations may they be revealed

I‘ve just found this quote by Helen Keller who seems to be able to put everything I’ve just said into two sentences…Love it!

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker. ~Helen Keller