10

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t need to do ‘it’ perfectly. Perfection is not a prerequisite.

Perfection is in the doing. In this knock-down-drag-out fifteen round title match, all the perfection one needs is the courage to do what must be done. To set up, take the first step and then keep going. The degree of success, so often tallied in terms of wins versus losses, success of failures, bottom line profits or returns on investments, is bludgeoned silly by the simple act of honest effort. THAT is where any concept of perfection plays it’s part - in making your effort perfect.

I have said this six million times (by the latest count), and I will risk any backlash by the six millionth and one telling, that (and I quote): “If you have done everything correct in practice, if your effort has been pure, enthusiastic, scholarly and authentic, I don’t care what follows.” If one has put forth that quality of effort towards any goal, there exists no possibility of that thing we call failure. Sure you can lose a game, miss a promotion, watch as greedy, corrupt politicians steal your pensions, or deal with the death of your dog - bit if your practice has been consistent and effective, if your adaptation process has raised your awareness, gratitude and ability to forgive sufficiently, your response is not anger, envy or depression, it’s more experience and wisdom. and, dare I ask, Isn’t that what it is about?

If any of you (still) think that the accumulation of gold, stockpiling of political power or indulgence of one’s privilege represent life’s meaning, I hate to break the news, but it is not. The bankrupt adage, once used to sell trucks, extolling that the one who dies with the most toys, wins, made more honest folks wince faster a trump stump speech. Our current notion of totalitarian and predatory capitalism, must end. Quick.

With this as the intro, after class this morning, a particularly challenging set of intervals, I had one of our longest contributing members make a comment on the importance of an emotional glimpse of the value of intensity. I asked him, on the scale of one to ten, how important is your comment?

"You mean in spinning, cycling, pole vaulting or all of life?"

"All of life of course.”

"If I understand it correctly what we just witnessed was proof that what we once thought to be our best, really isn’t. When we think that this is our max, there is always a little more, and when we feel we can no longer continue, we usually can."

“Assuming we want to."

“Right."

"So your numerical rating is a…."

"10"

Perfect.