Perfect.

Perfection is attainable.

What did he just say? That’s right, PERFECTION IS ATTAINABLE. This is not just for the privileged few, this is for everyone. Perfection is available, accessible, and attainable for everyone, today, right now. That includes you. Your perfection awaits.

Does this sound like the beginnings of an infomercial for some age defying, testosterone boosting pill? Or maybe a self-help guru’s pitch for a 7-step, life changing program? Well here’s the deal, this is not some limited time offer and you don’t have to make 3 easy payments. No, this offer never changes and there is no cost.

Sound too good to be true? Stay with me, I’ll explain.

Take a deep breath. Seriously, stop for a moment, inhale deep through your nose, hold the air in your belly for one…two…three…and exhale through your mouth pushing all the air out of your lungs. Now I want you to think about the word PERFECT. Close your eyes, take another deep breath or two, and just think about what it means to be PERFECT.

What came to mind? Was it the white picket fence around the country farmhouse or the mansion on the 18th green? Was it the flawless spouse or the well behaved children? Was it the designer wardrobe with the finest jewelry? How about the six pack, pearly whites, or size zero waist? Maybe it was a bank account balance with a certain number of digits.

Whatever came to mind is your own personal idea of perfection. Here’s a quick PSA: Some of these imaginary snapshots of perfection are unattainable because they are simply not real. They are superficial images that have been imprinted on our minds by years of conditioning. In short, these ideas of perfection are a lie. They lack any true meaning or depth.

So what is the true meaning of perfect? The Oxford dictionary defines it as:

adjective: perfect

/ˈpərfikt/

having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.

Notice anything interesting about the dictionary definition of perfect? I’d like to point out two things:

1. “having all the REQUIRED OR DESIRABLE elements…” – In order for something to be perfect, all it really takes is to have what is REQUIRED. In other words, perfection lies in having all that you NEED. Is that earth shaking? Do you have food, shelter, clothing? Yes, yes, yes. Doesn't that mean things are, by definition, PERFECT?

Secondarily, it could be that you have all that is DESIRABLE, meaning you have all that you WANT. So does that mean if you don’t have a Ferrari and a swimsuit model spouse that things are not PERFECT? Only you can answer that because your true, deep-rooted wants that don't change with the seasons are unique to you and only you.

My point is PERFECTION IS A PERCEPTION. If we view perfection as having all that we need, many of us are living perfect lives. If instead we view perfection as having all that we WANT, then it becomes a matter of defining our deepest, most meaningful wants.

2. “…as good as it is possible to be.” – When we closed our eyes and thought about perfection a few moments ago, did the constraint of what is POSSIBLE even enter your mind? When we are comparing our current circumstances to our dream of perfection, we have to keep in mind what is possible in this moment. The idea of future, imaginary perfection can be crippling and demoralizing when compared to our current position.

Your image of perfection should not be a measuring stick for your current situation, but rather a motivating dream for your future while you reside firmly in the present.

Today’s perfect is not the same as some future imaginary perfect. That imaginary future perfect may be unattainable but more importantly, what we determine as perfect can, and should, change as we grow and mature.

Perfection is found in the daily journey towards better. A day spent pursuing Better is a perfect day, win lose or draw. Taking a step towards your potential is a perfect day. That does not mean you won’t have setbacks, it means your setbacks become opportunities to learn, grow, and get better. It means we reframe our perception of perfection to include and embrace life’s obstacles.

Redefine what it means to be perfect. Perfect is not having everything together without blemish or flaw, perfect is the passionate pursuit of potential. We never know what our potential is, it is intangible and invisible. The only way we will ever know our true potential is through the daily pursuit of Better.

Perfection is attainable today because perfection is a mindset. Do you have all that you need? Boom. Your life is presently perfect. Do you have all that you want? Not the superficial society approved wants, I’m talking about your deep, meaningful wants. Your health, family, opportunity, friendship, freedom to pursue you dreams? There it is again, life is presently perfect. Is life as good as it is possible to be? Well we cannot change the past, we have no control over the future, where we stand currently will always be as good as it is possible to be. So check, life is presently perfect again.

Your current circumstance does not define you, you define your current circumstance. You choose whether it is perfect in your eyes or not. Imagine this how God sees you. You are perfect and blameless in His eyes just as you are right now, yet he loves you so much he won’t let you stay the same. God calls us to grow and be refined through our trials. Just because He loves and accepts us completely and views us as perfect in this moment does not mean that He expects us to never change. God knows we have better in us, but in our current moment we have all that we need and all we can possibly have right now. Tomorrow could hold much more, much greater things, but today is perfect.

If we can borrow this perspective, our lives will change. Perfection is a perception. Perfection is relative. Perfection is attainable. We can choose to view each day through the lens of perfection, accepting the challenges that lie ahead not as imperfections, but rather as opportunities to refine and grow towards our potential.

Our potential is the unseen, undetermined future version of ourselves that is only attainable through the proper present perception of perfection and a passionate pursuit of Better.

We will only be able to walk in our calling, our ultimate potential, if we recognize that we are right where we are supposed to be and that today is the perfect day to pursue Better.