The Art Of Practicing Perfection
Begins in perfection.
As the world watches Olympic athletes strive for perfect scores, we celebrate the presentation of perfection.
The dictionary defines perfection as “the state or quality of being perfect.”
It arises from Middle English (in the sense 'completeness'): via Old French from Latin perfectio (n-), from perficere 'to complete’.
The definition of perfect is “having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be: absolute; complete.”
Don’t athletes have to see perfection first and imagine achieving it, knowing that it is possible, in order to express it?
As each athlete demonstrates a higher version of perfection, it paves the way for the next one to realize an even higher vision of what it looks like and then train and practice so that their body matches their new mental awareness of perfection.
As spiritual students, we train the exact same way.
As the expression of the One Intelligence, we begin in perfection.
We begin with the awareness that the One Divine Intelligence cannot be expressed by anything other than perfection, and that we are already absolute and complete.
We can’t begin with an imperfect picture any more than an athlete can begin with an imperfect picture and hope to end up in perfection.
Holding to perfection, it is easy to see what isn’t perfect.
For a world-class athlete, that “thing” that doesn’t match perfection could be a slightly turned-in toe or a breath taken in the wrong place.
For us spiritual students, it may reveal itself as habits that do not spring from or serve our true nature as spiritual beings.
Sometimes, athletes only practice mentally. They practice seeing themselves doing their art perfectly, over and over again.
This has been proven to be extremely effective.
One reason is that they don’t have to deal with the self-talk of imperfection that may occur when they make a mistake in “real-time.” They can stick with perfection.
From that practice, a new understanding of perfection arises, revealing what is imperfect so it can be let go.
Once, a very upset woman wrote to me. She thought I don’t believe in instantaneous healing because I often say spiritual understanding takes time and practice.
These are not exclusive.
Of course, there are moments when the perfection of the Divine is all that is present in our awareness, resulting in what we perceive as instantaneous healing.
Isn’t this the same as the moment the athlete clears the hurdle, touches the wall, or completes an impossible dive? Imperfection drops away, and perfection stands revealed, and that took practice.
As spiritual students, like athletes, we practice.
Knowing that “perfection is gained only by perfection” (Mary Baker Eddy), we begin the process of dissolving away anything that is not our present perfection.
In those moments, called instantaneous healing, the missed perception of imperfection rolls away, revealing that perfection has always been and always will be our divine state of being.
There never was anything that needed to be healed other than a belief that something wasn’t perfect.
Just as the world's greatest athletes have demonstrated, the awareness and demonstration of perfection come through constant practice.
We practice. We study.
We practice staying aware that perfection is already present and that we are already absolute and complete.
This is not a chore if we see it for what it is: a study of perfection.
Being a student of divine perfection, walking the path of living in perfection is a privilege.
Yes, it involves letting go of ideas and anything attached to those ideas that is not perfect.
Why would we want to hold onto what does not stem from divine impulsion?
Our days are not usually filled with lights, cameras, and people celebrating our skill of understanding and living perfection.
Even for those who bask in the limelight on their special day, the rest of their days are like ours: They practice, and we practice.
We can take pleasure and joy in being students of perfection now.
We know we will experience moments of instantaneous awareness of the Divine.
We know that as we practice staying in perfection, those moments will come more and more often.
We know there will be a time when everything else will permanently disappear, and the divine perfection of all will be all that remains.
Yesterday is gone and its tale told. Today new seeds are growing! Rumi
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