Perfectionism couches itself in performance, achievement, and competition. It is the antithesis of excellence. — Aaron Ivey, The Austin Stone
I often say to pursue excellence, but I tend to get mired in perfectionism. It guises itself as excellence, then—poof!—it reveals itself. I become discouraged. I’ve yet again chosen to focus on performance, achievement, or comparison.
None are healthy ways to move through life. If I focus on performance, I’m always putting on a show. I’m never honest. I refuse vulnerability. Appearance is everything. Plastic masks and plastic smiles.
Achievement is equally disappointing. I’m constantly looking for the gold star. I never find it. I think I’m accepted because of what I do, not because of who I am. I worry that I’m not living up to expectations. I become afraid and uncertain.
Competition and comparison do no good. There is room for competition in things like CrossFit or challenges I set for myself. Those, however, are goals. Perfectionistic competition is different. It seeks to destroy the opponent. Comparison robs me of the joy found in celebrating other people’s gifts.
Excellence offers a way out from those three things. Excellence is the result of an other-centered pursuit. It focuses on glorifying Another. It seeks the good of others.
The term is most clearly defined in Philippians 4:8. In the Greek, the phrase about excellence and praiseworthy precedes the other adjectives, meaning that those words describe what excellence is. They fill the form with meaning.
According to the verse, excellence is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute. It requires being dwelt upon; the verse concludes with Paul exhorting the Philippians to keep the qualities in mind.
Why? Perhaps because he knew all too well how forgetful people can be. He had a lengthy family history of forgetting. Dwelling on the qualities keeps them at the forefront of one’s mind, much as a mezuzah acts as a constant reminder of God’s covering.
Dwelling also fills. If I’m thinking about things that are true and honorable and lovely, I exude those qualities. I can’t help it. My heart is filled to overflowing. My mouth speaks.
When I’m in that posture, the desire for perfection fades. I’ve found what is better, and what is better is not performance, achievement, or competition. It’s pursuing godly excellence. It’s filling myself with Him and His Word so that I glorify His holy name and bless and encourage others.
Image: waferboard (Creative Commons)
[…] Excellence is a quiet quality. It doesn’t have an entourage. It doesn’t require an announcement from the stage. It’s steady and mostly unseen, like a heartbeat. It’s necessary to keeping things in motion, but it doesn’t seek attention for itself. […]