When you hear the phrase “good enough” what do you think? Most of the time we take it personal and we think that WE are not good enough. We start thinking about our shortcomings, and mistakes and we even go as far as to look at things like our bodies, hair, clothes, and everything else in between. Once we get past taking it personal and all our physical frailties, we then start sizing up our accomplishments or the lack thereof. We think about the unfinished projects on our desk, the list of things on our “to do” list that continues to grow. And let us not forget about the laundry that is still on the floor.
I was recently listening to a podcast and the guest was talking about how she has learned that sometimes, “Good Enough” is good enough. The person talking was someone that I have long admired and followed, and I thought she was a perfectionist. So when I heard her say this, it caught me by surprise. The more I thought about her statement, I had to challenge myself with the question of, how often do I hold myself back from achieving something because I was striving for perfection, rather than accepting that good enough would do? There are some things that will suffice if they are not perfect.
As I reflect on the various seasons of my life, especially after I was first married with children, I had to learn what was important and when I should just take a chill pill and relax. For example, for those that know me and have ever been in my home, I pride myself in keeping it nice and neat. But when you have a young family and you are being pulled every which way, I had to realize that if everything was not dusted or put up in its proper place, it was okay. As long as I made sure we did not live-in filth and craziness, it was good enough. Funny story, one day a girlfriend came by for a cup of tea and she went to my daughter’s bedroom and when she looked inside her toy chest, she said, “oh my goodness Wendy, even Courtney’s toy chest is organized.” Well, that did not last for long.
Over time, there have been different things that have come across my path that I had to make decisions on, and I had to decide if it was worth me giving my all or was it fine if I just get it done? I agree, there are some things that we cannot sacrifice on; but we must learn how to discern the difference. As the saying goes, do not major in the minors. Seek balance in all that you do if you want to achieve peace. The sad thing is, most of us work hard to get all we can, can all we get, and then just sit on the can. We really do not need a lot of things. Usually, the person that tries to please everybody (by being perfect) ends up pleasing nobody and becomes sad and lonely.
One of the gifts of getting older is your perspective changes. I have started focusing more on things that have an eternal value or lend itself to my legacy. The things I believe I should always seek perfection on include, being the best wife and mother (including grandmother), my word, my character, and my commitment to others. The rest in life is negotiable. I want my loved ones to always know they are loved and valued, as well as for people to believe I have done my best when and where it counts. By the way, when it comes to the physical aspect of how God has made us – that is good enough too!
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Visit www.WendyGladney to learn more. Wendy is a life strategist, coach, consultant, author, and speaker. She can be found live on Instagram @Wendygladney on Wednesdays at 12 noon PST.