Why perfect will never arrive on a white gleaming horse.

Kids in bed, dishes done, bins out, PJs and slippers on, I was ready.

The Grand Final of X factor.  One of the reality shows I thoroughly enjoy.

It was the Grand Final, the last few amazingly talented singers and musicians.  They were performing 3 songs each and then the voting was over to us, the public.  My 2 favourites were Dami and Taylor, I was anxious to hear them both sing, to compare, to consider my vote, to see if the voting public agreed with me.

The tension was building it was time for Taylor’s final song.  You could see he was nervous.  He began to sing with his usual incredible, raw, honest, emotion.  He paused, he faltered, he missed a line.   His facial expressions gave away his despair.  I felt the hot tears well in my own eyes, devastated for him, wondering how he would get through the remainder of the song. What came next was incredible.  He not only kept singing he got better.  He dug deeper, he used his anguish and emotion to deliver a gutsy, heartfelt performance.

Next came Dami.  She is a true singing powerhouse.   Her song was huge, it was incredible, it was perfect.   Dami is not accustomed to being described as perfect.  In fact she is a self-declared dag.  She has her own style of awkwardness that has endeared her to hundreds even thousands of people, including me.  She does not look, act and dress perfectly, she points out when she gets lipstick on her teeth, she giggles about her fumbles and trips.  Each week in front of thousands of people she showed up to perform.  She rose  high above all of those so-called imperfections and she created perfect brilliance.

Taylor and Dami survived most of Australia seeing their imperfections and came back bigger, bolder and stronger as artists.

Now this is the sort of stuff that gets me thinking.

Could it be that when we fall short of our perfect, we also get a chance to go a notch higher, to dig a little deeper and come back with even more than we could ever have imagined.

I began to look at my own approach to life.  All the projects, the workshops and the ideas that have fallen victim to my perfectionism.   To the many performances I worked, reworked and at times overworked trying to get it right.

To all the potential brilliance that never saw the light of day.

To the many ideas crushed and then abandoned in my quest for perfection.

Imagine if you courageously actioned a great idea and then you fumbled and fell short..
Imagine your actions were heartfelt, honest and still valuable to all those around you.
Imagine you received difficult, even negative feedback and you went away and improved.  Coming back bigger and better.
Imagine you then survived another imperfect, although improved moment and you gained even more valuable feedback.
Imagine how long this incredible dance could go on and the brilliance that will inevitably result.

Then imagine the opposite.

Imagine sitting for hours and hours at your desk, planning, writing, creating and hiding your work until it is perfect.
Imagine abandoning your ideas over and over again.
Imagine, days, weeks, months of striving aiming and waiting for things to be perfect.
Imagine the hours lost, the frustration and the dismay.
Imagine how long that dance could last and the likelihood you will never begin and experience many wonderful moments.

Perfectionism stops us from being seen it does not protect us – Brene Brown

Is there an idea, a plan you are holding back on?  Waiting for the perfect time, the perfect place, the perfect anything?

Wait no longer my sweet friends…..Perfect will not arrive on a white gleaming horse and imperfect will never slay you as you courageously step forth.