It’s a perfect day to give you #2 of my Perfectionist series.

Really? How you stand apart from others, how you are imperfect, brings joy? Sometimes it brings the bad kind of joy that isn’t really joy at all. It’s gossipy, mean-spirited, resentful,  entertaining judgment disguised as joy.  That is what much of today’s reality TV is based on.  Real housewives, top models, bad restaurant and salon owners, locals who aren’t local to your locale, celebrities who wear something odd, anyone who can be seen as displaying what we would never do, wear, say, eat, play or believe.  That is the ‘I will look at you, laugh at you and judge you so I can feel better about myself’ sort of joy.  If that is what you indulge in, you are not only not doing yourself or your world any favors, you actually are doing damage to yourself and those around you.

So, can how you stand apart, how you are imperfect, bring legitimate joy?  Yes, you can obviously bring joy when you are a good example in your imperfection. Maybe overcoming an obstacle, maybe fighting back from a setback.  Or perhaps you are a going to only be a vehicle for joy by being a warning to others about how not to proceed in life; not a good example, but a bad example.

By the way, I allowed a few ‘imperfections’ to stay in the drawing, can you find them?

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I happened upon a fantastic TED lecture this morning by Brene Brown. It addresses the idea of shame and vulnerability in a very compelling way. And it struck me that it really was addressing the issue of perfectionism and the fear of judgment as well.  Find some time today to watch (or just listen to) this 20 minute presentation. It is well worth it and illuminates many ideas that are worth considering. Plus she is funny as all get out.

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Drawing by Marty Coleman, who is ashamed to admit many things.

Quote by Doug Larson, 1926 – not dead yet, American journalist