22 January 2014

Being Your Best Self


"... an unperfect actor on the stage" — Wm. Shakespeare 


I was reading through a book of sonnets this past weekend and this one line spoke to me. 

It's the perfect epitaph really, for those who are self-aware.

I am indeed 'unperfect'.  No one knows this better than I. My shortcomings are legion—an inherent laziness, a secret selfishness, a time-waster and day-dreamer, a procrastinator, judgmental at times and impatient.  Indeed, the burden of my failings weighs heavily at times. 

I look around at those who are almost inhumanly good—cheerful, patient, trusting, hopeful, kind, accepting, productive, on time, organized—and I realize that I cannot possibly measure up to them.  The expectation of perfection is simply too high and too daunting. 

But then I stop and wonder if they, too, have a secret list of failings.  I'm sure they do.  That is the human condition after all.

And so, in the end, all you can do is try your best.  And be yourself.  Because being yourself, as they say, is a tough act to follow.

Carry on.

2 comments:

  1. Hello Dear Hayworth.
    Something has happened between our blogs.
    mine is not updating on your blog list and yours not on mine.
    it must have happened when i had my blogging hitch before xmas.
    lets try and get us both up on each others blog list again.
    i am off to do that now.
    Dear Hayworth. We must believe in ourselves. Be kind to ourselves. Not expect too much from each other, or ourselves.
    Have faith.
    There are no touch acts to follow.
    just be yourself.
    Its been my philosophy since i was young.
    I send you greetings of love and peace.
    wishing you a happy week. val

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  2. What is perfect anyway? We need all types. thank goodness, and all of them just plain human and imperfect.

    ReplyDelete