A Balanced View of Personal Satisfaction
Several people I know will never be truly happy, on account of the extremely rigid and strict standards they’ve set for themselves, and the intolerance they display toward anybody which misses their expectations.
As a result, nothing they do will ever satisfy them completely, and what others attempt falls short of their anticipations. Such condition is more a curse than anything else. But it need not be so!
While it is very commendable to have an eye for detail, to strive for the very best, and even expect the maximum which others can deliver, some people spend a lifetime of unnecessary misery, totally devoid of genuine joy, on account of their failure in recognizing that all humans are fallible; the best for one person may differ in some points from the best others have set for themselves.
It is honorable and reasonable to keep trying until you reach the desired result. Many inventors did that and positively affected the human race through their discoveries. It is also most becoming to wish and attempt high quality in all your pursuits, and even to expect the same from others, especially if and when you are paying them to do it for you. Yet, everything which humans produce will inevitably be tinged by imperfection - some items more noticeably than others.
The term perfectionism, though related to the word “perfect” does not necessarily describe a good, positive quality for one to possess, since nothing is or can ever be fully perfect on earth. Only God is, and has always been, perfect in His being and all His doings. And He expects His children to strive for perfection, to attempt the very best they can, even if perfection as such shall never be reached, on account of the reality of sin in the world.
Nevertheless, it is wise to approach any situation or condition with the assurance that it can improve, on account of our actions in that regard. With this perspective one will be more ready to employ all personal powers and external resources to make that a reality, under God’s approval and supervision. Believing the oppositive, and proclaiming “It can’t be done” or “It can’t get better” will inevitably bring paralysis and become an immediate, self-fulfilled prophecy.
People can and should strive to improve themselves and much that surrounds them. But there is a point when finality must be brought to a situation and acknowledged in the execution of a project, large or small. Sometimes, trying beyond what has already been fulfilled may accentuate unnoticeable flaws instead of removing potential defects.
Genuine satisfaction in what you do can be a reality when all your pursuits have the glory of God and the wellbeing of fellow humans in view; when you seek divine aid for any enterprise, and diligently follow His blueprint, knowing your limitations while striving for the very best you are capable of providing. St. Paul described his own dynamic when he enthused: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Like him, so can we!
