Wholeness Meets Perfection

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of today's post if you wish) 

What do wholeness and perfection have to do with one another?  Probably not much. 

We pursue perfection in all its many colors and varieties, sizes and shapes.  We chase it, we plan for it, we scheme for it, and the beat goes on.

And do we find it?  Is perfection really attainable?  And once we achieve our visualized version of perfection are we then a whole and complete human being? 

Probably not for long.

Oops.  I fell.  The fall could have been a physical stumble or a moral one; it could have been an oversight or an outright lie.  What happens to “PERFECTION” then?

As human beings we need to consider this, and perhaps give ourselves some slack.  This quote helps me immensely.

“Wholeness does not mean perfection;

it means embracing brokenness

as an integral part of life.”

~Parker Palmer

In all my years of living, I may have put in ten minutes of perfection.  Yes, ten minutes.  Well, maybe eight hours if you count while I sleep, and that is on a good night. 

But the idea is this … we know we are broken people.  Perhaps it is what we do with our brokenness that is the determining factor.  Maybe it is the dawning of the age of “embracing our brokenness.” 

Perhaps we are reaching a point in our thinking when we say “I have not been perfect and I will never be perfect, yet I still accept myself.”  “I may never get it ‘right’ but I like how I try and try and try again.  As long as I have a will to try, I think I can embrace every circumstance in my life, and that means my broken side as well.”

This is what is on my mind today.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

"I AM" You Say

Whatever it is that you say you are, it is so.  This is an age-old axiom that still rings true today. 

The power words “I AM” are not much as a stand-alone pairing, for it is what follows that matters.

I AM – strong

I AM – a writer

I AM – confident in my skill set

I AM – losing weight

I AM – exercising faithfully

I AM – following my plan for my life

What are you?

Who are you?

Some people go around with the mantra …

Oh I could never do …

Oh I can’t forgive …

Oh I would be so embarrassed if I …

Oh what if they laugh at me

Oh its already been done a thousand times before

~The good news is this – even if it has already been done, it has never been done by you.

~So what if they laugh.  Do it anyway.

~Embarrassment?  You probably won’t die from it.  Go ahead.  It will give you a good laugh after you accomplish whatever it is you wanted to do or become in the first place.

~Forgiveness is one of the sweetest pills to swallow, after the fact.  You would be amazed at how it improves life.

~Is fear keeping you from trying the “nevers” in your life?  Join the club and do it anyway.

You are as capable as the people doing whatever it is you want to do.  It just boils down to belief. 

What do you believe about yourself?

What are your action “I AM” statements?

Do them!

Become them!

Perhaps then you can say with confidence – I DID!

“I took a deep breath 

and listened to the old bray 

of my heart; I am, I am, I am.”

—Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

For What Are You Known

When people think of you, your brand, or your place of business, what do they immediately think of?

Tonight as Carolyn and I drove around our small town we started listing the things that make some of the restaurants memorable.

Restaurant A has good oatmeal

Restaurant B has amazing coffee with heavy cream

Restaurant C has incredible burgers

Restaurant D has the best Italian food

Restaurant E has lousy coffee (even lousy coffee is memorable)

And we added a few others. 

You see, people know things about your business and about you that they may never verbalize to your face or put on a customer survey, yet you are being rated and judged based on their perception of you.

And so it is with us as individuals.

~I think people perceive of me as an 

   encourager.

~My friend Ruth has never been happy in any 

   job she has held for as long as I have known 

   her.

~John is a thinker.

~Walt is always ready to help someone in

   need.

~Louie is lazy.

~Mary is resourceful.

~Aileen is an amazing cook.

~Don’t eat what Lucy cooks.

You see the pattern.  People make judgements about us too.

My point …

Get in touch with yourself and make sure your persona matches what you aim to give off.

Make sure your business is true to the impressions you set out to leave in people’s minds.

And if you fall short?

Do some research.  If you are a restaurant, ask your customers how they like your coffee?  Do you like the way I fry your bacon?  If there was one thing I could to do improve my business and get you to come here more often, what would you say?

Maybe what you are known for is not what you want to be known for.

Perhaps you can improve on that.

Maybe!

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time