What is a perfect life? Obviously there is no perfect, so it’s meaning only exists within the confines of the word itself…”perfect”…and it’s a stupid word. So there! It’s not perfect. It’s stupid. But what if? What if we could define it for ourselves? For some it’s easy to go to streets paved in gold, angels singing in choirs, pearly gates and the end of all suffering. Did you hear what I just said? It’s easy…as in the easy way out. And it isn’t perfect at all.
Dig into that. Really see yourself on golden streets and floating in clouds. Is that what you want for eternity? To float in some fluffy clouds forever plus infinity. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bemoaning the end of all suffering. It would be nice to see joy in every face, but your joy isn’t mine and mine isn’t yours and if they’re conflicting we’re really in a situation. It doesn’t require any effort to have someone define perfect for you. Maybe your perfect is what comes easy and if so, good for you. Congratulations, you’ve done it. You’re in heaven.
If you’re inclined to believe such things, and maybe you’re not, Jesus might be a perfect example to you. If your inclined to believe such things, he was perfect in his relations to others. He was perfect in how he handled suffering. He was perfect in how he lived his life right at the moment. He was perfect in the way he withheld judgement until he heard truth and understood someone from the depths of their soul. He had perfect fun and perfect liberty. He worried and prayed and shared and didn’t begrudge anyone simply because he didn’t agree or understand. And he didn’t act in this perfect way with an eye on money or things. He lived. Really lived. And he died and lived again. Take that how you may.
And maybe you don’t believe such things. Maybe you believe something else completely. Maybe you’re a Jew, a Muslim, Buddhist, Hare Krishna…Nihilist. Somewhere there is a group each of us are born into, fall into or step into (irony intended). But so many belief systems are coupled with negativity. It’s like were all waiting for something else to either save us or release us. Waiting for the perfect deliverance. Can you hear the banjos…uh, I mean harps?
So, think about perfect life unacceptable life. Yours and only yours. Maybe you’re reticent to take responsibility for failing to define yourself and your perfection. You aren’t the only one. It really makes me itchy under the collar to to consider because it seems so hard to put into practice. People will be able to blame you. People can point their fingers at your beliefs and call you ugly names. And you have to think, really think, about who you are. That’s not just hard it’s scary. Ultimately though, your life is your own and what would it mean to you if you were stuck here with no one else defining it for you? Yes, it’s out there now…we’re responsible for defining perfection on our own terms. Go ahead and take that leap. You, just you, by yourself without the world around you telling you who you are or should be at the core. You with all your questions. You. It’s all gone and you are by yourself. What is your perfect life unacceptable life? I’ll start:
Perfect Life
- Art–creating stuff every day because it feels good to make things. Writing, painting, designing, collages, photography, sewing.
- Order–things pushed in, put away, cleaned up, smelling good because my world being pretty is important to me.
- Candles
- Books
- Shoes
- Travel–everywhere. Seeing the world up close. Beaches with Spanish speaking artist colonies nearby, African children running through the dirt, Venice sinking into the ocean, Yosemite in its majesty, San Francisco and its fog, New York and its bustle, Chicago and its bean, Greek economy, Italian women, London fashion, Paris cafes and bookstores, and on and on and on.
- Talking–without inhibition. Being able to speak freely. Annoyed, happy, goofy, smart, childish, stupid, angry, philosophical, antagonistic, ironic, distorted phrases and my words are just words worth listening to, without needing be dismissed, or shut down, or relationship ending, or shocking because they’re coming from me and not someone more ballsy than me who people are used to hearing speak their mind confidently.
- Home–living somewhere exciting that feels like my place. Maybe this place would change often or maybe I would have a home base, but there is energy and vibrancy and open-mindedness and people make it home.
- Tranquility–living every day with time to do what I like, and a job that allows this to happen because it doesn’t take anything away. The job doesn’t have to add anything, though that would be a plus, but it never takes away. Money means nothing if you’re so busy working for it that you can’t take time to enjoy why you’re working.
- Diversity–I cannot fathom a world where everything is one-dimensional. It is this difference that drives me to understand. Like threads in a woven tapestry or dots in a Van Gogh painting.
- Learning
Unacceptable
- No voice–feeling shut down or that my words are somehow dangerous to my happiness. Others getting a safe place to land their voice on me but not allowing the same feeling of security.
- Living without creativity–time but no money, money but no time. There has to be a way to balance this. Joy is wrapped up in this for me.
- Puppetry & Stagnancy–never seeing beyond my own back door. Being so filled with the “responsibilities” others think should be mine that I can’t really be me. Letting others pull the guilt strings.
- Chaos
- Apathy–reaching out to others is what draws us together, keeps us connected and keeps us from judging what we do not know.
- Fear–getting bogged down in worry about the future. Somehow I have to find a way to let it be what it is and stop trying to make it what it’s not.
- Oppression
Ok, now it’s your turn. Define your perfect.
Thank you to Robyn Lark Wakefield at www.urbangoddess.org for inspiring this post!
