Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.
~Harriet Braiker
I frequently struggle with what to keep and what to discard when it comes to my images. I can easily see exposure issues with this flower that cannot be resolved without losing detail in certain areas … yet each time I move to send it to the trash something stops my hand. It’s not perfect, but there is something happening in the very center that makes me want to give it another look. What about you, how do you let go of the need to be perfect and make peace with good enough?
Gifts Of The Journey 
Like the song goes, “Everything is beautiful in its own way” )
Jill
On the one hand, I’ve gotten to the point where I realize that what I consider perfect is actually transitional. What is perfect today, will not be tomorrow.
On the other hand (besides different fingers), I continue to struggle with letting go of certain things. I have, for example, a temp folder on my computer of web pages I want to read. I could just as easily make it a list of bookmarks, but I just can’t or don’t get around to doing that. Often, I realize after about two weeks, I’m never going to get around to reading them, and I’ll delete them, only to find myself wishing I hadn’t yet.
Hmm great question. I think sometimes you just have to go with your own feelings and instinct.
It’s not the same, but I get sooooo weary of being told/asked/challenged about ‘you spend enough time in Paris now; why isn’t it good enough to have been there x days’ blah blah blah. We have to compromise in SO many ways in this life — without boring people to death on all the ways / issues / items / plans / dreams / photos? etc. I’ve compromised on, I think it’s ok that sometimes we say – nope, not good enough yet – still want more, better, ‘perfection’ or whatever. I think it’s often positive to keep striving — perfection may not be possible but better may be. Depends on the significance of the item/issue, too — good enough for one thing, atill going for ‘perfect’ on another …
I guess the real key is how we each define ‘perfection’ — to know when ‘good enough’ really does equal perfect!
Cheers.
love this picture.
i tend to love the ones that AREN’T perfect. drives my mom crazy 😉
Hi Elizabeth,
What is the measure of ”good enough’…?
For me loving something comes from the heart not from the head…
Through my growth as a jewelry designer, writer, photographer ect., I am learning that perfection is always right now, in this moment. All of it is as it should be, or it wouldn’t BE. The idea of perfection means finished. I am not ready to be finished. Growth and change…all good.