Episode 03: Perfection
I’ve come to love quotes. What I mean by this is that I love tidbits, nuggets of wisdom, simple phrases, that articulate a new perspective or the essence of a thought, feeling, emotion.
Could be from a movie, a presentation, a conversation, a show, podcast, lyric - you get the idea.
I find myself pressing pause (literally and figuratively), grabbing a piece of paper and jotting them down. Why? Because words are powerful and when a person is able to articulate something that resonates, I have a visceral reaction and I want to remember it.
This happened recently (in addition to the Yoda one) while watching the show “Yellowstone”. For those of you that have yet to get lost in this show, it’s quite the adventure. In one of the recent episodes, John Dutton, played by the one-and-only Kevin Costner, is sitting next to an old friend, looking out at the sun setting over a vast and beautiful Montana landscape.
He says, “I’ve come to believe that perfection only lives in little moments.”
Boom. An unexpected wisp of brilliance. Hit my core - reverberated. I grabbed the remote and my journal, paused/rewound/replayed, and wrote.
Why? Well… I’ve had what one might call a complicated relationship with perfection. High standards, high expectations. And somehow, someway, my self-worth wrapped up in it (yikes). Perfection - a barometer, and the exhaust - anxiety. Mistakes unsafe. Flaws to be absolved.
John Dutton’s words are freeing - a redirection of energy. His words suggest that perfection is not a destination, measurement of success, or all-encompassing. Perfection is not something to be reached, achieved, accomplished. Rather, it happens all around us, all of the time. Often not as a result of preparation, a well thought out plan, or orchestration, but unexpectedly. Whispers in time. Fleeting. We might simply happen upon it.
It’s the way the sun shines through the living room window first thing in the morning. It’s family dinner, sitting around a table eating delicious food, drinking delicious wine, everyone laughing. It’s bundling up and sitting around a campfire with friends. It’s the look of adoration when you see your partner do something brilliant. It’s throwing rocks into the ocean with your 2-yr old nephew. It’s that walk you take right after it rains.
The essence here (whether you have a complicated relationship with perfection or not) is the blessing that is realizing that perfection is those little moments.
Notice them. Relish in them. And when you do, close your eyes, take a deep breathe, and smile.
