A lot of people in English-speaking societies are focused on results, being better, being the best, or they have a conception of themselves that they strive to live up to.

Of course, you can never quite live up to a concept of yourself, as a concept is an abstraction. Try as we might to be spiritual beings, we live in a material realm, and nothing will ever be exactly as we imagine it.

We are always free to strive, to challenge and improve ourselves. At the same time, we are free to be accepting of ourselves. We acknowledge that our highest ideals are standards to move towards, but not benchmarks with which to judge or condemn ourselves. We will never be perfect, and we certainly don’t have to be perfect today.

Read the transcription and find important links on the site: You Don't Have to Be Perfect: Episode 21 - A Beautiful Thought