Moving forward without the burden of perfection

Personal impatience leads to two equally destructive extremes:

1. Pride , which makes us believe that we have nothing to learn or correct.
2. Paralysis , which prevents us from undertaking valuable projects for fear of not living up to an unrealistic expectation.

You receive a calling to start a family, to pursue a profession, or to serve others, but  you don’t receive a guarantee that you’ll never go wrong along the way . Even great saints—like St. Francis de Sales himself, known for constantly battling a strong and easily angered temperament—had to learn to deal with their own rough edges in everyday life before they could offer anything of value to the world.

To positively impact your environment, you need to replace destructive demands with a firm commitment:

• Accept your gifts without vanity:  Recognize what you are good at and put it to work without shame.
• Embrace your limitations realistically:  Falling, losing patience, or making a mistake at work or at home is part of the learning process.
• Keep going:  Get up early, study, apologize when necessary, readjust your course, and continue.

Give the world the best of yourself

Being patient with yourself isn’t giving yourself permission for mediocrity or making excuses for not improving. Being patient with yourself means understanding that building a meaningful life—whether it’s raising three children, leading a team, or maintaining faith in difficult times—is a delicate craft that takes time, falls, and recoveries.

Don’t wait to be perfect to start contributing. Recognize the gifts you’ve received, accept that you’ll stumble along the way, and above all, have the same empathy for yourself that you ask of the world. Keep moving forward, be patient with yourself, and do all the good you can.