Who doesn't strive to be perfect? OK, maybe I'm a part of a smaller crowd than I think. I always try for perfectionism in what I do; I want everything to be perfect, and it seems there are times and circumstances when its ok NOT to have things be perfect. Maybe the word I'm searching for is "exact". Our store had inventory yesterday, and one would assume that having every item in the store counted (by a professional team), the counts would be exact. They weren't, and as a group, we spent the day trying to find and correct problems within the system. That's what got me thinking about Perfectionism.
There are plenty of aliases for it: Getting it right ... Fixing it ... Revising ... Quality Control ... Anal-retentive ... Obsessive-compulsive ... Having high standards. But no matter how you word it, it comes down to the same thing. But what I found interesting when I looked up the word perfectionism: "a disposition to feel that anything less than perfect is unacceptable". And yet in real life, hardly anything is totally perfect. To set ourselves up to believe that "less than perfect is unacceptable" holds us back. If its "not perfect", do we continue to keep trying to make it perfect? That just leads us in the same circle, because it will never be exactly perfect. And that leads to thoughts that nothing we do "will ever be good enough".
Perfectionism can be an addiction (and yes, I can think of worse things for me to be addicted to!!!), but when it comes to life .... this can, and does, hold me back from even greater things. Somehow, I need to find the place where I can accept a few shortcomings, and not try to be "so perfect". And isn't it the little idiosyncrasies that separate us from others; that give us some endearing (if not downright quirky) qualities that others like in us? Our faults, weaknesses and unlucky breaks work to our advantage ... by making us more resilient, more inventive, and ultimately more efficient.
So today, don't try to be perfect - just be yourself. Accept your flaws. Do something that makes you shudder as much as it makes you smile. Abandon your To-Do list. Realize that knowing your weaknesses is your biggest strength.
And remember: if something's perfect..... it can never get better.
4:07 PM
Love Letters - Feb 7, 2008
Current mood:loved
There is power in the written word. The spoken word is said, and only those who hear it, take it with them. One can go back and read, and re-read, old letters. They never go out of style! I tend to write more than is written back to me. I've poured my heart out about life events, silly things, and of course, love letters. Letters outlast whatever happened to inspire them in the first place. It can be interesting to go back and read some of the letters I've written. Words are potent, passionate, persuasive; sometimes they reveal tidbits about ourselves that we didn't notice or realize as we were writing, but can often times see when the clouds of emotion have left us. Most of them are written in solitude, when we're feeling vulnerable, perhaps. They could be sensuous details about the place you're in, or fond memories; silly endearments or confessions. We all have a need to tell our stories. Even if its only to ourselves. When I was a little girl, I called mine a diary. Then they called it a journal. Lately, its blogging. But no matter where you write it, you shouldn't be self-conscious --- you should be conscious of self!
On a whirlwind trip up the eastern seaboard, Washington DC to Maine, I had the most fun sending myself postcards from every stop made. I would write on the back what I'd done, seen, heard, and mail it home. When I arrived home, there were all these fabulous pictures, with notes on the back to help me remember.... came in handy when creating my scrapbook too!!
Oscar Wilde once wrote to his wife, Constance: "The messages of the gods travel not by pen and ink and indeed your bodily presence here would not make you more real: for I feel your fingers in my hair, and your cheek brushing mine." Who wouldn't want to get a love letter such as that?
And if there's no one writing you, you can write something today.... to yourself!!! It will give you something to smile about !! Just think, write something about yourself that perhaps no one knows. Mail it... and after its received, open it a week later. What smiles and giggles it may produce! If you end up writing several, tie them together with a ribbon... perhaps future generations will appreciate the real you, too !
And don't forget to sign them.....
with love, hugs, and kisses!
7:00 PM
Mary Poppins! - Feb 8, 2008
Current mood:amused
After a hectic week of inventory, it was a more relaxing day - just had to do a few price changes, and I was able to head home. YAY! I was working close to electronics for quite a while, and they had a DVD playing ... it was Mary Poppins! As I was working, the tunes brought me back to a different place and time........
I was about 7 years old, and after recently seeing
the movie at the drive-in theater, my parents bought
me the soundtrack LP. I played this album over and
over again, on a pink turntable. My room had hardwood
floors, and I had a dressing table and night stand that
Mom had decorated with pink gingham fabric skirts
around them. (Isn't it amazing what details we
remember when something triggers our memory?)
And now, 40+ years later, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was fascinated with the song "Spoonful of Sugar". That's when Mary Poppins teaches the kids to snap their fingers and their toys march themselves into the toy box. As the song played from the DVD, I thought about the words, and wondered if that had become part of who I am now. The verse I'm thinking of goes:
In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game
And every task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that…
A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
Between the adage "work before play" and this verse, it mostly sums up how I think about the necessary things in life. Work has never bothered me, I enjoy it quite a bit. No matter the task at hand, if you look hard enough, you can find the fun side in it. In fact, you can find that same kind of fun in many other situations in life, as well. It's all in how you look at things. So the next time some task has you feeling down, overwhelmed, or just plain bored, take a closer look, and find something fun in it! -- it will go faster that way!!
HUGS to everyone!!!
