Lessons for a father - Between Disaster And Perfection

Image Courtesy: Flickr (Saku Takakusaki)

I really wanted to utilize a word that depicted the antonym, the exact opposite, of perfection. There was the option of using the word imperfection but to me that is a state that tells us we are not there yet. I needed a word that could, possibly, finish the sentence, "that was anything but perfect, it was a/ an...". That is when the word disaster came to my mind. To a lot of us, that might not be the right word, but the intention was to utilize 2 extreme conditions.

We are so enamored by the whole concept of perfection that we, often times, forget that there is an entire area of "good enough" between the 2 dreadful extremes.

Our love for perfection, not the pursuit of the it but the state itself, often forces us to neglect what might actually be pretty good. But, accepting what might be good enough does not mean accepting mediocrity. It means that we enjoy what we have and what we might have worked very hard to achieve.

Our son does not like saying "seven" in his progression from 1 through 10. Should we be bothered by the fact that the count is not perfect or celebrate the fact that he is definitely moving in the right direction and, for now at least, what we have is really good enough?

I can do with losing a little more weight and getting fitter. I have heard many others talk about the same thing. Should I be depressed with my bad health or understand that my continuous work towards my goal is good enough? 

Leadership and fatherhood both require a lot of patience. They also make us face adversity regularly. We all are on the path of intentional and continuous self-improvement. We are all, at best, a work in progress. 

In the meantime, however, it is pertinent that we enjoy and celebrate what definitely is good enough.