~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PERFECTION by Charlie Badenhop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Om. This is perfect. That is perfect. From the perfect, comes the perfect. If from the perfect the perfect is taken away, Only the perfect remains. Om, peace, peace, peace."

This sense of perfection, is the inherent blessing that exists as the essence of everything. This sense of perfection is present at all times and doesn't require any healing or learning or change to take place. This sense of perfection is dynamic rather than static, and welcomes the necessary ongoing changes of life. This is the kind of perfection that we will be working with and hoping to experience in our time together.

In every day life "perfection" is often thought of as an unachievable "external" ideal, and pursuing this kind of perfection usually leads to ongoing dissatisfaction, as we constantly find something that is not quite "right" that needs to be fixed before everything will be OK. External perfection is static and it can actually be damaging to a supportive concept of self.

Being a perfectionist can be a generative action IF in a healthy Michael Jordan kind of manner we challenge ourselves to achieve ever greater results by having high ideals that are never quite attained, even as we respect and appreciate all that we have already accomplished through our hard work, dedication, and connection to, our unchanging perfection.

In Japanese flower arranging it is common that one of the branches in the arrangement is bent or broken, to signify that the arranger has attempted to present the flowers in a "natural" state. It is the "imperfection" of the broken branch that leads us to understand that the arrangement is potentially "perfect." We encourage you to look for and appreciate your "broken branches" as a sign of your uniqueness and perfection.

Each one of us, no matter how seemingly evolved we might be, have imperfections and personal ego attachments. These imperfections and attachments are not something to be overcome or transcended, but rather something to be understood, appreciated, and accepted in the course of our life journey. If we do not honor our individual shortcomings, then a part of us will always be feeling that we are somehow "wrong."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~