One of my long-term projects at work was helping my boss update the previous version of his book, The On-Purpose Person. We went through several revisions. Once it was completed, it was sent to the publisher. There were a few more rounds of edits. When the time came to approve the final galley proofs, my husband and I were in the middle of our cross-country move. I didn’t get the opportunity to give the text a final look to catch any errors. Once we arrived at our destination, I was too nervous to look at the document, for fear of finding any errors.
I received the printed copies I requested, and I was still nervous about looking at the printed text. I so wanted to see a book without any typos or errors. Alas, it was not to be. While few, there are some mistakes in the book. I felt somewhat discouraged, feeling like my reputation as a proofreader was tarnished.
It is hard to find a book anywhere that does not contain at least one printing error. (I even found one in my Bible once, although it was nothing that changed the meaning of the words.) I am still learning how to let go of my perfectionistic tendencies. No person, no book is perfect. And that’s okay.
Life can be like a book. Our stories are told, and not one of them is perfect. It is good to strive for excellence, but realize that perfection is impossible. Our flaws make us unique and human. Thinking it over, I’d rather be this way than stiff and fake.
If you would like to see the updated and revised edition of The On-Purpose Person, click here.
Despite evidence to the contrary, I am still on the planet. With everything that has been occurring over the past few months (prepping and staging a house to sell, open houses and showings, selling a house, packing and moving across country, and settling into a new location; plus deadlines at work), I have not made myself write anything. Some days I was too exhausted. Other days, just didn’t know what to say. Many thoughts bounced around in my head, but nothing crystal clear.
This cross-country move has brought me back home (quite literally, moving in with Mom to help her out a bit). Over the past 11+ years, I have grown a great deal. Many experiences gave many opportunities for learning. This was brought home to me in an interesting way.
I was visiting a friend a few days ago, and noticed some photos she had posted on her refrigerator. I recognized her and two other friends in the photo, but couldn’t quite figure out the fourth person. I knew she looked familiar. After staring at the photo for a moment, I started to recognize myself. It was really weird that I didn’t instantly realize it was a picture of me. The picture was 10 years old. Yes, my hairstyle had changed a bit, but nothing drastic. It was something about the face. There was a slight emptiness or hollowness about it. There was a smile at my mouth, but not so much in my eyes.
Since that photo was taken, I have gone through some counseling and recovered from depression. There is now more light in my eyes. (Not to sound conceited, but I believe I look better now – ten years later – than I did then.) I am so thankful for making the effort to get better. I now have more confidence and purpose in my life.
Today, I could say that work stinks. (Literally. Our building had some septic issues, and the most direct route for pumping it out was through our office. Thankfully, it didn’t get too bad indoors, and it’s over with.)
Normally, that is not my attitude. Today, that wasn’t even my attitude about my job, just the office. I am grateful for a job that generally agrees with me. Sure there are a few tasks that I would rather someone else be in charge of, but I am able to find satisfaction – and yes, even happiness – in the work that I do.
A great deal of what I have been doing lately ties in to my purpose of discovering beauty. In proofreading, I get to chip away the “ugly” parts and let the beauty shine through the words. Now, to just find a little time to dig through the papers that are accumulating on my desk to bring the beauty back there (sigh!).
Do you have a job that you love? Or at least like? If not, what is stopping you from pursuing it?
Just in case, I think I’ll bring some air freshener in to work with me in the morning.
Why have I titled my blog Discovering Beauty? Am I sharing beauty tips? (No, but if you ask, I have a few.) Am I on a journey “looking for beauty in everything I see”? In a way, yes.
Discovering Beauty is my personal purpose statement – the shortened version of it. The whole statement is “To the glory of God, I exist to serve by Discovering Beauty.” This purpose statement format comes from Kevin W. McCarthy’s book The On-Purpose Person and related writings. More information can be found at the website www.on-purpose.com.
Discovering Beauty to me has a few definitions. I needed to discover the beauty in myself. My perfectionistic tendencies and unforgiveness of myself were getting in the way of my relationships with God and other people. Now that I have found that healing, I enjoy helping others find it too.
Nature and the universe around us have so much beauty to observe. Sunsets, roses, and stars are some of my favorite visuals. Music, birds singing, and children laughing are sweet sounds to the ear. A soft breeze and a hand to hold are wonderful touches. Flowers and fruit are pleasant fragrances. And chocolate is a great tastebud tickler!
One of my favorite tasks at work is to proofread. So, I may be a little nuts. But I’m good at it! I discover beauty in the words by cleaning up the “dirt” that prevents the accurate message from shining through. I love to see articles, brochures, etc. go out without any typos. Errors like misspellings and transposed letters jump out at me. Yes, I have a dictionary handy. And you’re right, I haven’t been cured of all perfectionism. Now I’m a little paranoid of publishing this post, but I will get over it.
