We all have areas in our lives where we want to excel, but really, at what cost? What do we lose when we devote so much time and effort, sweat and tears into something instead of simply moving on? Is it possible that we can actually lose a part of ourselves?
Let's walk through a scenario or two. First: let us say that you have an appointment to keep that is several miles away, and your car decided that it no longer wanted to function properly. But fortune smiles on you because a close friend informs you that he was going that way anyway and doesn't mind giving you a ride. They tell you that they have a meeting prior to setting out, but it shouldn't last long. They'll meet you at their car around this time.
Now, under the guise of being careful, you show up 20 minutes early, and you feel horribly betrayed when arrive five minutes after the time they said. How could they be late?! Don't they know that you have somewhere to be? They must not understand how important this is! Frantically, you pace the parking lot until they arrive, of course, all smiles.
They tell you that they're sorry, they got stopped by a coworker on their way out the door, but you don't want to hear it. You don't care about their coworker. You need to make your appointment, and unlike some people, you can't be late. You have a reputation of being impeccably early, and nothing is going to stop you.
The entire car ride, the only thing you can see is the clock. You know that if traffic is fair, you will be there just on time; it might just be enough. But then, traffic slows to a stop. No, there's no way you are going to make you appointment now. Your perfect record is broken. You might as well not even go now. Never once, in your despair do you look up to see the car on the side of the road with its passenger door caved in from the crash that stopped traffic.
Too depressing? How about one more, different scenario? You have a presentation in class due tomorrow that is worth 30% of your grade. You're working frantically for weeks because you want to maintain your perfect 4.0 grade point average. You've stayed up until 3a.m. making sure that all your research is correct, and your presentation flows smoothly. At last, it is finished, A+ material. You save your project on your flash drive and go to sleep. The next morning you wake up and get dressed in a flourish because of your excitement. You even remember to eat breakfast, to make sure you're in peak condition.
You're sitting in class, taking notes on all the other presentations until it is finally your turn. You walk up to the computer and reach into your pocket. Maybe you left your flash drive in your backpack. Maybe it fell out and is under your desk. Maybe it was in your other pocket. Back pocket? Desk drawer? Just outside?
No, you left it on your desk back home. But your teacher isn't going let you have an extension; that wouldn't be fair. So you step back in front of the class sullenly and give your presentation based solely on memory, with no visuals, none of those awesome effects or anecdotes you spent so much time working on. How will your grade stay up now?
I tell these stories to say this: there are things in our lives that we can't control. Perfection may be something we strive for, but it is on many levels simply impossible. So, do your best, but don't hold yourself, or anyone for that matter, to a standard that is unreachable. Don't get caught up in the cycle of perfectionism that tears you and those around you down.
If you are not being a blessing to those around you, you are a lot farther from perfect than you may think.
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