Perfection

The quest to be perfect is a very frustrating endeavor. I realized the extent of this frustration when I was at yoga this morning, reaching for the perfect pose and failing to attain it. But, you see, yoga is not about the perfect pose or moving and bending without flaw. It is about being in the moment and reaching inner peace with what your mind and body can do. The moment you feel that your body is in the "perfect" position, stretch further, reach more, push harder. There is no perfection in yoga...there is only gaining just a little bit more so that your mind and body can reach a new experience. Yet, I still get super frustrated when I lose my balance or can't lock my knees straight or just can't get the pose just right (well I guess there is no right is there?).

Why do we yearn for this unattainable perfection? We are all human and we are not meant to be perfect right? Yet, so many of us are not okay, not satisfied with less than perfect. That is why the term "perfectionist" exists. We want everything to be in it's place, doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way...or we are unhappy. I am certainly one of those people. I cannot and will not leave well enough alone...oh no, "well enough" is meant to be polished until it is shiny, not tarnished in the least, set in the perfect ray of sun so that the light hits it just right and only then will I accept it...because then I will consider it perfect.

But how ofter do we really achieve perfection? I rarely do, I know that much. And then I beat myself up for having failed to reach the unattainable goal of perfection, when in reality...what I did was quite a feat in itself and should probably be acknowledged as such.

Why are we, as humans, so unsatisfied with the road to perfection. The tireless trek to reach the top of the mountain is not easy. If we reach the top of that mountain, should we just ignore the hike it took to get there? And if we don't reach the top, does that really make us a failure or does it simply mean that we are not meant to get to the top of that mountain because, after all, we are only human.