Letting Go of Perfection - A Lifelong Lesson

"What is a weakness you have?"

I can still remember being asked this question during job interviews.

Of course, when you are in a job interview, you don't REALLY want the other person to know you have weaknesses, right? BUT we, all, have weaknesses -- alas, the question must be answered.

I would always tell the other person that my weakness was that I was a perfectionist. I figured I could get away with this one well. I could tell the weak side of this but also a good side.

After all, it is a noble and good thing to strive for perfection, to strive for excellence in all that we do and not settle for mediocrity.

However, striving for perfection means that
we could lose sight of some of the beauty that lies around us.

It may be hard to settle for less.
It may be difficult to start or finish projects.
It may be easy to get impatient or aggravated.
It may be easy to compare situations.
... and more.

Even as I write this post, I am struggling to be satisfied with "imperfection". My loving husband took my oldest two children snowboarding this evening, one of the last possibly good days to go since we haven't had much snow and cold weather this winter. Tomorrow my kids have their high school classes with our homeschool group, and I know that they will be home late, around 11:00 p.m. with some work to finish up for their classes.

My insides would like to worry and fret and get all tied up inside, but somehow, I have to accept this reality and know that life will continue to go on, as less-than-ideal as this seems to me.

I can get worried over something I have no control over, because it doesn't meet the image and standard I create
or I can accept the reality that it is and live with grace.

Once I get a picture in my head of how something should be, it is hard for me to break away from that, and this applies to my entire life - my marriage, my child rearing, my teaching, my relationships, and yes, even my blogging - every part of my life.

And step by step, I am learning, continually...

To let go of perfection.

To still strive for excellence but to accept reality,
with peace and graciousness.