We live in a beautifully imperfect world. A world full of mystery, wonder and awe-inspiring moments, including, dark and forboding times.
What if, it all belongs?
What if it is our constant struggle to be perfect and to create perfection all around us that causes strife, our lack of connection and belonging in this world?
It’s a not so subtle force, this desire to be perfect and to make the world around us perfect. Its constant yammering to do better, be better, make better of ourselves and everything we create, achieve, buy and do in the world leaves us feeling dissatisfied and sometimes defeated by ourselves. Its constant wailing pounds away at our peace of mind disrupting our ability to be together in peace in the world.
In its strident calling out for justice, in its insistence that ‘this’ or ‘that’ do not belong in the world, in its labelling of human suffering and misdeeds as ‘wrong’, in its endless battling against one foe versus another, it denies the inescapable truth — Imperfections, sorrows, and struggles are threads woven into the tapestry of our shared human journey.
As long as we do not accept each other and our shared journey, the everything we perceive as imperfect will remain as thorns that prick away at the tapestry of our human journey causing knots of discord everywhere.
It is in our acceptance of imperfections that freedom waits. Acceptance should not be mistaken for resignation or passivity. It does not imply giving up on striving for change, justice, and truth. Instead, acceptance allows us to relinquish the habit of railing against perceived injustices and embrace the imperfect nature of our existence. By understanding that imperfections are an integral part of being human, we foster a sense of belonging and unity in our ability to work together in our shared imperfections.
For me, my quest for perfection often leaves me exhausted. In my journey, I’ve gathered together a tool-kit full of ways to quieten my need for perfection–meditation, exercise, dance, creative endeavours, being in nature. Yet still, there are times I refuse to do the things I know calm and heal me. Still, my quest for perfection raises its persistent voice whenever I fall into the belief that I am separate from the world around me or that the world around me is separate from me by our differences..
The desire for perfection keeps us separate from one another,. Those whom we deem ‘different’, the things we deem unwanted, become the barriers to the things we want most as human beings — a sense of belonging, that we fit in, that we are loved and needed on this journey. In that separation, we arm ourselves against our fears of the other, and lose our belief in our power to affect postiive change, together.
Love is perfect and when I when I choose to stand, strong of back, soft of heart, and lay down my arms full of discord and open them instead to Love, I find myself in a more peaceful, loving world.
When I choose to focus on changing the things I can with loving-kindness, my ripple becomes part of our collective power to change the world for everyone.
Our world is full of imperfectios amidst its perfect beauty. When we let go of criticizing, compaining and condemning the things we do not understand, or judge too harshly, we pave the way for perfect Love, together.
What about you? Are you holding onto your perfect armor, hoping it will protect you from life’s imperfections? Are you holding yourself separate from all the world’s perfectly imperfect beauty?
Dare Boldly 
Elgie,
You know who people in lab coats look through glass or fencing – to observe animals, conduct experiments etc., to see ‘how they behave in different situations,’ and this is the study of the behaviour of species – a dispassionate analysis by experts who synthesize the replicable data to explain the various species to us.
Now, imagine having lab coats on; we are observing both close up and from afar – at a unique species, we see ..
We are on planet Earth – there are some two-legged mammals; they are ‘the same’, but they don’t look the same. As they get older, they shrink, shrivel and get shorter. Many are now living well past 100. They all look nearly the same at birth; they mature in much the same way – nurtured by mothers’ breasts, walking by one year of age, then talking. And they don’t shut up, ever!
This species has increased its intelligence and brain size – they are so smart, but they handle conflict well. They are now exploring Artificial Intelligence which many fear will destroy the world or at least destroy these two-legged humans. Others argue it will improve the world, and by improving intelligence at incredible speed, the quality of life and prosperity will be ubiquitous. Those in the third world can only hope, but they aren’t holding their breath because, so far at least, nobody has taught A.I. to have feelings, compassion, or feel the pain of others. Not to worry, they’ll teach it to synthesize that into words, but it won’t make computer circuits into feeling brain synapses for a long time.
For now, the world is perfect. This species lives and dies there – they have organized countries, and most of them appear to be democratic, thoughtful and supportive of one another.
The problem with this species – are many, and it’s hard to know where to start.
The empathy gene – that would be a good one – if we could tweak their DNA and install an empathy gene in everyone.
While we’re at it, how about a ‘democracy gene’ so we know it’s there in everyone, not just in some mutations? We did a study of Alberta this week – the species voted, but not by much of a margin, to retain a conservative government even though the party calling itself United Conservate is neither united nor conservative – it’s what they wanted as an alternative (52%) versus what they didn’t want (46%) voting for that party calling itself New and Democratic; well, new there, but they seem to have the empathy gene!
In conclusion, we should continue to support this species. Still, they will need special protection in some areas of the world where they are threatened by competing mutations who seem to have the communist, autocrat, dictator, and Putin genes – because gene therapy takes too long ..
The world is fine – these species tend to love, fight, fuck, fuck it up, and figure it out, and though every generation has some idiots who’ve not yet found their village, have no fear – Danielle Smith is here, she’ll welcome all those fringe-fried idiots into her big-tent party, every member has one vote, but not to worry about that … it won’t be long until they start eating their young and they’ll mutiny. Or they’ll party.
And I have to get back to the lab now,
Cheers,
Mark
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Oh my goodness — you made me laugh out loud with your last line made me laugh. And, LOL, how did you know that was what was on my mind as I wrote yesterday?
I keep reminding myself, the people have spoken. This is the way of democracy. And, within a year, a new leader may be in place if this one can’t reign in their tendency to step into the fringe of the far right and play with wild ideas as if they’re the best thing ever!
thanks for the morning laugh Mark! 🙂
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Glad you liked it – I’m developing what I wrote into a column to tomorrow, or maybe another day soon, and I’m going to work in the ‘mystery of the recounts’ … and maybe make some Animal Farm and 1984 references ..
m
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This past weekend my nine-year-old grandson wanted to learn to knit. I had taught him months ago– but he doesn’t want to bring the knitting home, only wants to do it when he’s with me. As you can imagine, there are constant questions, comments, fixing, etc. After a few lines (only 12 stitches on the needles), he was getting both a bit frustrated that he made mistakes and that it wasn’t “growing” fast enough. I told him I make mistakes all the time but know how to fix them. One can’t worry about not making mistakes!
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What a fabulous lesson for your grandson Lisa — and how wonderful you knit together. And yes, one can’t worry about making mistakes — in life or knitting. My daughter taught me that same lesson about painting. When I first began to paint with her in my 40s, I wasn’t happy with something. She said. “If you don’t like it, paint over it.” How freeing that was! And the beauty was in the fact, the underpainting continued to inform the painting as I worked on it creating wonderful texture and depth of colour ❤
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