Excellence is the new Perfect

I have come to realize that perfection is deteriorating our society. Many people strive for it and its attraction is magnetic but the truth is that it is unattainable, a utopia that will never be fully achieved, a feeling that will not provide satisfaction and a journey that may very well be life threatening.

So, if perfection is not the ideal target, what should we be aiming for?

I recently decided to eradicate the word “perfection” from my vocabulary because I see all the harm that it causes in teenagers and adults and the damages heavily outweigh any benefits that I used to believe in. I now speak of “excellence” and particularly the pursuit of it.

Excellence, by definition, is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. When you focus on excellence you are committing to trying your best and investing your time and energy in a worthwhile endeavour. Whether your pursuit of excellence is at work, in your studies, hobbies, family, personal health, financial wealth or other aspect of your life, it will lead you to becoming the best you can possibly be. Committing to excellence is a way of living your life and it becomes part of your values and beliefs and constantly influences your decision-making. It begins with setting personal and professional goals, being clear on your desired path and expectations for attaining those goals and only accepting and being content with your very best. Committing to excellence is committing to a better life.

Perfection by definition is the condition, state, or quality of being free from all flaws or defects and something that cannot be improved. I think it is safe to say that no one and nothing is perfect. Perfection is an illusion created and highlighted through media. Magazine covers are photoshopped to correct errors and eliminate imperfections which leads one to believe that there is an ideal human state. Of course, there is not. These are unrealistic expectations and yet this is what we constantly see projected and glorified. The ideal being portrayed that many people are seeking is wreaking havoc on society. Whether it is the number of “friends” or likes on social media, the “super-parent” model of today’s working couples with kids registered in multiple activities or the “desperate” need to save money, save water and save the environment, has us losing focus on saving ourselves. We are encouraged to recycle, reuse, reduce, repurpose and constantly renew ourselves simply in order to survive. The world has achieved such a frenetic pace that quantity often takes precedence over quality. What once was deemed perfect is now being referred to as excellent and is quickly being lowered to the status of average. I believe this to be true in education, politics, technology, goods and services and human relations. We are at a crossroads and I am worried for the world that our kids and their kids will grow up in. We need to downshift, slow down, reprioritize life and return to enjoying every day by creating memorable moments.

Even though society has recently expressed a desire to shift, there is still a long way to go before we accept that we are all different, we treat each other as equals and we embrace who we are and the abilities that we have been given. It would be nice to see massive change before we reach a breaking point.

Not every kid playing sports will become a professional athlete.

Not every student will make the honour role.

Not every child will grow up to be a doctor, dentist or lawyer.

Not every girl will become a princess or every boy a prince.

Not everyone will marry and many will not seek love.

Not everyone will maintain or even accept their gender.

Not everyone on social media has close friends and not everyone with close friends feels the need to be on social media.

There are many paths, detours, u-turns and speed bumps along our journey through life and we would all be much happier if we embraced our whole self and respected, not tolerated, those around us.

Here are a few quotes which I find inspiring and speak to this:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better” -Maya Angelou

“Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow” -Anonymous

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not an act but a habit” -Aristotle

I encourage you to pursue excellence and strive for your best in everything that you do.

Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?

Why be mediocre when you can be outstanding?

Why do as others when you can be an original?