I about cried when I came across this quote from the Dalai Lama talking about what surprised him most about humanity. He said,

Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.

That’s our current culture in a nutshell. Of course this is not the way any of us plan on living, but we are a product of our environment and inevitably get caught up in this way of life if we aren’t paying attention. In order to live our lives rather than missing out on the entire ride, we have to start by accepting ourselves just as we are. As it turns out it’s one of the biggest challenges we’ll ever have to face. But in order to accept ourselves we first have to be able to see ourselves, not the way we think we are, or the way we use to be, or hope we will be sometime in the future, but now, as we are in this moment. There is a self-help empire made from trying to figure this one out. How do we get comfortable living with the unvarnished truth? Our culture has us sold on the idea we need to buy wholeness rather than work at it. But you and I both know nothing we buy, no face cream, no outfit, no car, house, or yacht is ever going to make us better than we really are. Only work on the soul will change the quality of our life.

Perfection is the main culprit holding us back. It keeps us stuck and cultivates an unforgiving internal landscape that can lead us to holding ourselves to a standard we would never set for anyone else. And this steals our lives away. The problem is perfection does not exist, it is a lie that hides who we are and robs us of the richness of life. It’s a false reality that doesn’t sustain. We are kept in the endless loop of always searching and never finding, and that leaves the soul depleted. But what we can attain is an imperfect perfection, loving our lives as we find them at this moment. If we can love the chipped everyday mug as much as the fine bone china we are closer to appreciating things for what they are and not simply longing for what could be or regretting all that will might never be.

It is the truth of our inner self we must commit to if we are ever going to be satisfied. The work we do on uncovering our unique voice begins to tear the mask off of perfection and shows us what it really is, an excuse not to live the life that is authentically ours. Being authentic in the moment requires us to be present and honest every step of the way. This is the difficult work of living what has meaning. The good news is that every moment we have another chance to decide who we are and how we’re going to live. Is it going to be pretty and easy-going every step of the way, of course not, but you already knew that. But with each authentic decision we make we move closer to our truth and that offers a kind of freedom that’s rarely felt. It’s a sacred way of living, because we are actively and honestly deciding what nourishes us and what no longer sustains us. That powerful kind of living unlocks a deeper contentment and connection to life.

So slow down and take a deep breath. Begin the intricate process of opening to the truth of who you are at this very moment. Accept what you find there and let the taskmaster of perfection die a fiery death. Whatever we are in this moment is all we’ve got, let’s focus on living that.

kb