We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. And as they say, the quest for perfection can deter our ability to live good lives. We have to ride the waves of imperfection to live good lives or else the good life will evade us.
This came to mind this morning as I faced a number of personal and environmental imperfections--imperfections that are challenging, uncomfortable, and worrisome, and imperfections that are persistent, long lasting, and difficult to understand.
If we think of life as collection bins, we can think of collecting as much good as we can find and letting that good outnumber and outpace the troubling imperfections that occur.
How do we do that?
Good people
Spending time with good people who add to life's joy, adventure, peace, and happiness is one way to work against life's painful imperfections. Find your people, spend time with them, contribute to their well being, and learn from them too.
Good times
Create and enjoy good times as much as possible--the kinds of times that make you feel fully human and alive, times that bring joy and happiness.
Contribution
Use your gifts to contribute to the world around you in positive ways.
Healthy living
Choose to live in healthy, positive ways.
A warm, welcoming home
Create a space that welcomes you and gives you comfort--a staging ground from where to do the good work possible and live the good life too.
Smooth your rough edges
Find ways to smooth your rough edges in order to live a more peaceful, loving life.
It is an imperfect world and we are an imperfect people. To strive for perfection is often the worst thing we can do with regard to living a good life. Build as positive a life as possible for yourself and others. That's a good way to ride the waves of imperfection.