In a culture that strives to eradicate anxiety with perpetual movement and busyness, the act of simply being in and accepting the present moment is terrifying. This fear leads to increased difficulty in finding intimacy with ourselves - and, in turn, with others, hence our clinging to such notions as perfection being an event to be achieved. The underlying belief here is that we are not good enough, that this moment is not satisfying enough, that our lives are just not enough. We therefore miss the process of living in, tasting, and inhabiting the actual experience of being alive. Perfection is a neurotic mental construct that is static, and therefore, dead. The truth is that we are perfectly imperfect, and as our egos have spent years constructing character armor in an attempt to obscure this reality, we find it horrifying. Therefore, working to release both our longing for an unachievable ideal and our non-acceptance of reality are the most worthy of endeavors.

Look at this very moment: processing these words and allowing them to soften our hearts is about as close as we can get to perfection. Likewise, when we immerse ourselves in any gathering of like-hearted fellow beings, each moment being one that will never be replicated, we catch the fragrance of perfection. We can not bottle, freeze, or control it; we can only bathe in it. Here then, let us soften our hearts and release all judgment as best we can, moment to moment. Let us let go of any notion that this moment is not enough, that some other thing has to be achieved in order to make it more special, more real, more satisfying.

We are that we seek.