Don't Go Expecting Perfection

The Daily Stoic for August 1st. “Don’t Go Expecting Perfection”.

“That cucumber is bitter, so toss it out! There are thorns on the path, then keep away! Enough said. Why ponder the existence of nuisance? Such thinking would make you a laughing-stock to the true student of Nature, just as a carpenter or cobbler would laugh if you pointed out the sawdust and chips on the floors of their shops. Yet while those shopkeepers have dustbins for disposal, Nature has no need of them.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.50

We inaugurate August’s stoic section, “pragmatism” with a call to embrace imperfection. Seems fair enough. Even some people would consider me a perfectionist, things have always worked better for me when I have not aimed for perfection.

Don’t Go Expecting Perfection

When I started writing music for Bosques de mi Mente, I was not truly trying to make something that someone would want to listen to. I didn’t expect anyone to actually like what I was composing.

For me, it was a way of relaxing. In a way, it helped me liberate my mind and focus only on the music. In that sense, it was as close as it gets to meditating. My mind was completely focused on every small sound, free from the uncontrolled flow of thoughts plaguing it before the hammers started plucking the strings.

Had I considered how good the music I was composing was, I would have never published it. So in a way, I would have missed one of the best experiences of my life. Imperfection is beautiful. It’s what makes art provoke us or what makes music provoke us goosebumps. Let me say it again. Imperfection.is.beautiful.

So my suggestion for you is: to stop worrying about the results. Just love and enjoy what you do. Do your best effort. That’s all that matters.

Conclusion

Today’s Daily Stoic, “Don’t Go Expecting Perfection”, is a true call to action. If we expect perfection in everything we try, we’ll never manage to do anything really valuable.