Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection

One of the 28 Secrets to Happiness list that was on my blog last night........strive for excellence, not perfection.
The striving for perfection has created some of the most unhappy people I have ever known.
Through the years, I have had friends talk about their "perfect" life......life would be perfect if......
they were never happy, because nothing was never "perfect."  That striving for perfection instead of excellence created a goal that was not obtainable.  A  couple of those friends are dead now, and I think of them with great sadness.  I don't remember them ever being happy, because they never got that
"perfect" life.

I have friends today, who seek that "perfection" and when I talk with them about the absurdness of
perfection........it seems that seed of "perfection" was planted in their brains long ago and cannot be weeded out.  They will never have that face or body of perfection they seek, or the perfect marriage,
or perfect job......talking about excellence to them is futile, "perfection" is what they want.
"Perfection" is their dream.

Letting go of the drive for "perfection".......that is the release of a tremendous burden. It is refreshing to know, that having flaws (not being perfect) creates our uniqueness, that a productive happy life comes when we learn from our mistakes, that our "warts" make us interesting.  Don't you think that "perfection" would be boring, bland and dull?  My life, certainly does not come anywhere close to "perfection".......but it has never been boring, bland or dull!

If perfection is what you seek, give yourself a break.....look around and marvel at the uniqueness and imperfect beauty of nature and the world around you.  Think about all the energy you have expended on the quest for "perfection"......are you always disappointed?  a little let down?  Maybe it is time to rethink what you are striving for, and why.