You know that feeling when adrenaline kicks in and life feels like a blur?
I experienced that a couple of weeks back while driving home from Miami.
I glanced in my rearview and didn't see a car until Wham! Out of nowhere, a white RAV4 slammed into the side of the van (aka the film shuttle) taking paint and the driver’s side mirror.
The car decided to speed up; my co-pilot tried to take a picture of the culprit, but it had already swerved ahead.
One of my friends in the backseat asked a very poignant question after the collision. “What do you perceive just happened?” I had an urge to say “IT WAS ALL THEIR FAULT; THEY WERE GOING 30 MPH OVER THE SPEED LIMIT!” But in a sheepish tone, I acknowledged that they were my blind spot.
I phoned the police to report the situation. After they heard no one was hurt, I was met with a healthy hangup. Classic.
With a mirror now dangling in the wind, I turned off the radio and white-knuckled the steering wheel at a perfect 10 and 2. The only words coming to me were “I'm alive and everyone in the car is alive too.”
Instead of just taking the action as something that happened, my brain went searching for meaning.
When I pulled off the highway to assess the damage, I looked into a mosaic mirror with countless cracks. The mirrors now distorted, only highlighted the imperfections. I started thinking of how many times I’ll look into a mirror and hear the voice of imperfection talking with little to no reason. I'll give that voice too much speaking time and ruminate on the unnecessary.
Just as I was taking this photo I had a thought: imperfection is part of perfection.
Think about it, when you break apart the word “Imperfection,” you get “I’m perfection.” The only difference between the two is space.
Craning my neck on every lane change and blasting Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson, I asked myself: “What does it mean to become friends with imperfection?”
Or better yet . . . how does one become friends with imperfection?
Just because you become friends with imperfection does not mean you need to become a victim of irrational or unhealthy behavior. Having big aspirations and goals is wonderful.
Acceptance of imperfection allows space for perfection to grow; it's in the acceptance we create value of what perfection is because, at the end of the day, perfection is perception.
What I’m learning is that my imperfections help me see my perfections. The seeing of my imperfections is a practice and an expression that must be met with grace.
Perfection is not a healthy goal for me. I’ll constantly beat myself up and waste my time with negative self-talk. Instead, I think about understanding and accepting my imperfections. Shifting what I see as imperfection allows for my perception of perfection to grow.
Final note- this is a practice. That’s what I remind my yoga classes. One class probably won’t change your life, but if you practice time and time again, something can shift within.
Next time you are looking in a mirror, don’t go hunting for an imperfection. Instead, train your brain to accept what you see.
In case you're wondering . . . the van (the film shuttle) made it back home in one piece with one wing mirror.
Thanks always for reading! If you enjoyed share it with a friend YOU think would enjoy as well.
be well,
-Fletch