“Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we do not live in a perfect world.”

Joyce Meyer

I left the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes this morning… and the hamper full of dirty laundry.

This was the first day, since my spine surgery in August, that I have had no appointments, no therapies, and no professional work to attend to. I was completely free to do anything I wanted to do, rather than all the things I “have” to do.

I consider myself lucky that I have a husband who doesn’t b*tch at me for leaving that sink full of dirty dishes – and for not tending to that pile of laundry when I obviously had the time to. He doesn’t look down on me for sleeping in, allowing myself to wake up naturally, and then stretching out upon our couch with a cup of coffee in my hand, as I began to write down some ideas for a potential future blog post.

And, hours later, when I finally felt the need to move my body, I have never been more grateful for my dog, whose eyes have never judged me – not even when I took him for our walk with no makeup on, wearing yesterday’s Santa Claus sweater and an old pair of ratty sweatpants. He walks happily beside me, no matter what.

I did, eventually, wash those dirty dishes – and that load of laundry is currently in the dryer. The point I’m trying to make, is that the truest happiness that life has to offer can only be found when we finally learn to relax.

You don’t always have to be busy in order to be productive, and you don’t have to be in a hurry to get everything done. Simply aiming for “excellence”, each and every day, will almost always trump the rarely attainable level of “perfection” that so many people waste their energy striving for.

…but back to my husband and my dog. These two familial beings in my life are the ever-present nonjudgmental, supportive force behind my internal drive to always find a way do it all – even if, just like today, it is in my own way and on my own time. And I have never been more grateful for this life that we have built together!

#BeyondTheBoylstonLine