Perfection, Frustration, And Alas… Reality

I’ve been watching the world of late; often shaking my head and sighing even though I know it won’t do much good. As a child I strived for perfection, everything had to be just so. Perhaps that’s because as an Old Soul I knew how things ought to be, and got frustrated when they weren’t? Maybe I just wanted some kind of order in my life? Frustration set in from a very early age when those around me wouldn’t comply, but even today my parents will admit I used to tell them what to do, and they did it (I was about 4 or 5 years old).

During my University and school years I witnessed how unfair the ‘system’ was, and struggled with why it was accepted—surely if you spoke up people would listen to logic. Listen they may do, but act they do not. Why? Because they like their job and title and don’t wish to rock the boat, even if something is unfair. Justice, equality, and parity I soon learned is not the way society works, and that is still true to this day. Yes, one can protest and petition, and sometimes that pressure group will get a result, but only after a few have suffered and dedicated their lives to the cause. Results are never guaranteed, and they take time; decades, and even centuries.

I write this because perfection, while it is individual to each of us is interminable, where the bar can be so high, it can never be achieved, humanly that is. I have a high bar, and I accept I cannot reach it at times and it frustrates me. Logically in my mind, there are certain things that are possible, and when they aren’t achieved it perplexes me. One can ponder and look for answers, but as I have gotten older I see perfection as a standard that can give the self closure and an element of joy in achieving what they aimed for, and it should not be for others to judge, or for their gratification.

This is one of the problems society has by imposing standards of perfection that are unrealistic. Some confuse perfection with OCD and it’s not the same, because levels of perfection can change. These days while I still hanker for perfection, when it doesn’t happen I can let it go because it really doesn’t matter; I mean who does it affect and bother really?  In life situations, the variables change moment by moment, and applying the same standard without flexibility isn’t wise or sensible.

The ultimate fact is humanity and humans are imperfect and flawed. Too often I see on some spiritual website someone quoting that the Soul and each being is perfect. I find that misleading, because someone who let’s say has less than honorable thoughts and intents is led to believe that they are ‘perfect’ and their actions and thoughts are okay, and they are not. No one is perfect, because perfection is a state that constantly evolves and never stops. That is why frustration kicks in, because one must be realistic to understand the concept of perfection.

Is frustration a lack of control, or a by-product of seeking perfection? It can be both, because at times we can have the perfect moment, meal, or feeling, but it is transient and can never be frozen and encapsulated and preserved. This is one of the reasons I advocate realistic spirituality, because if you cannot accept that perfection exists merely to challenge, encourage, and to set the Soul standards, then the incarnation will be filled with frustration, which can lead to blockages in the Soul Growth. It took me a while to see and understand this; I lived in a student house with my friends and while it was fun, it seemed perfect and that illusion was shattered. There were some great and perfect moments, but the reality of it all was that people all have differing needs and perceptions of what is perfect and the lesson is to accept that, and to learn to respect and live with those differing perceptions.

I used to get frustrated when people would listen to my logic, agree and then go off and do the opposite. I still do get frustrated, but I’m the only person who suffers. I have to let others figure out what is best for them at times, and I find people don’t always want to listen, they can hear, but don’t actively listen. Perhaps they do and keep those thoughts at the back of their mind just in case, and that’s all one can do. Living in a realistic world is hard work, mainly because people create their own realities and bubbles within it. A world with lots of pockets of bubbles of slightly different realities is not a healthy one, which is why society and humanity is so fractured. While each country has different customs, and laws, one expects that and discovering new cultures can be fascinating and also enlightening, but when there are too many adverse factions, a stable and peaceful reality seems further out of the grasp of humanity.

I watch the news because I do want to see how humanity is reacting to the treatment of others, and how the world is shaping. Instead I see a lot of destruction, and why? Power—it’s all about ego and power and who has more. Power over the people though? Surely world leaders and monarchs are there to serve the people they represent? The realistic view is that it is rhetoric; the people confer power to them, but few truly serve the public. Recently the new US government halted aid on planned parenthood assistance in third world countries because of the personal beliefs of some in the cabinet. In response the EU has raised funds to counteract this deficit, which will save the lives of many, and I ask how can two highly civilized and educated government bodies be so far apart?

Clearly humanity is not working together as the power struggles continue, and will probably exist for perpetuity. I realize that the world is not and can never be perfect, and it was never meant to be. Humanity can strive for a perfect world; one that is peaceful where no one starves, and where there is no crime, but that is unrealistic. We look for answers as to why people commit crimes; greed, envy, revenge, mental disorders, money, or just because they can. There is no one answer, therefore there can be no solution when the root cause is unknown and cannot be resolved.

Perfection is a transient state, and one we should not get frustrated over when it can’t be achieved (and I’m a Virgo!). That is called reality, and accepting that the world and humanity is not perfect, nor will it ever be. However, that should not stop us striving for it because humanity exists for Souls to evolve and learn. Although progress at times is stalled or limited, we, as the human race should aim to learn from the errors of bygone eras and that is something society is failing to do—perhaps through ignorance or ego, or maybe both?