The Missing Piece

I am reminded of the children's story, The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein everytime I am prone to seek perfection.

The author has the wonderful ability of making a Circle come to life...as it searches for a piece that it's missing. The 'missing piece' makes the Circle roll through town lopsided and uneven. He longs for a replacement part but never finds a piece that quite fits him. His intense search and uneven gait slows him down as he rolls along. He smells the flowers and chats with butterflies, all the while he looks for 'the missing piece'.

The Circle's search comes to an end when he finally finds a piece that is not too big, not too pointy, not too flat, but just perfect! He finally becomes a 'Perfect Circle'! When he puts the missing piece into place, he is able to roll with ease. He no longer has to pause or slow down. He can make his own way...no problem.

It doesn't take long for the Circle to realize that there was a problem, however. He was now capable of going where he wanted to go but didn't take heed of anything along the way. He missed opportunities. He missed the small stuff. He missed alot of life.

Before long, the Circle removed the missing piece and went back to being the imperfect Circle. Being perfect wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. The Circle realized that being whole and being perfect was two different things.

He was whole as an incomplete Circle because he allowed others into his life and relished their imput into his life.

When I think I need to be perfect to impress others I remind myself I would rather be whole than perfect. I would rather have others in my life than to have life all about me.

Maybe I don't remember the story in its entirety, or have come away with it's deepest meaning but it is enough to remind myself that I need to focus on being whole, not perfect. I need to turn to others when I fall short and allow them to encourage me on my way.

It is in the journey that we find the wholeness, not in the perfection of ourselves.