I just finished reading, Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist, and let me tell you it was a beautiful and compelling read. I am an avid reader and live for the moment where I find a book that compels me to the point where I cannot stop thinking or talking about it. Present Over Perfect is one of those books for me.
Although there are countless ideas and quotes from this book that I love and will integrate within my posts at another time, one line, in particular, stood out to me the most. Niequist wrote, “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and realize that the best thing about me was that I was organized.”
Whoa, this idea is one of those thoughts that makes you stop reading dead in your tracks so you can pause and heavily reflect . . .
In the fast-paced environment that we live in at work and at home, we can often overvalue and prioritize traits that make us more effective and productive, rather than traits that our soul or the world needs. As I was reflecting on this I thought to myself: Are we focusing on growing skills that help us become more efficient or we focusing on growing skills that make us better people? For example, to Niequist’s point above, being organized is an incredible trait, but we also have so much more to offer the world. We have an abundant amount of traits to share that positively defines who we are as individuals.
The reality is that what we focus on and what we value will always be what grows. If we center on the work we do alone, we will grow in those tasks. But, if we instead focus on growing who we are and all of our character traits, skills, passions, and talents; That is what will grow. Therefore, if we concentrate our growth as who we are first, rather than the tasks, it will make every part of our lives better, even the responsibilities.
Remember this: We were not born to be the best in one area. We were born to be excellent and fulfilled in all areas of our lives. It is always a work in progress. It is not an endpoint or destination. Instead, it is a way of thinking that we have to embody every single day.
