LESSON OF THE DAY 593

Ayahs of the Day:
And to warn those who say God has begotten a son. They have no knowledge of this, nor had their ancestors. What comes out of their mouths is intolerable as a maxim; for they are only telling a lie. [18: 4,5]

Hadith of the Day:
Neither argue with nor tease your brother, and never give your word to him and then break it. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Your postponement of deeds till the time when you are free is one of the frivolities of the ego. [Ibn Ataillah]

Guidance of the Day:
Letting Go of Perfection: Stop expecting perfection from yourself and those around you. We do a terrible, annoying thing to ourselves and others when we expect perfection. We set up a situation where others, including ourselves, do not feel comfortable with us. Sometimes, expecting perfection makes people so uptight that they and we make more mistakes than normal because we are so nervous and focused on mistakes.

That does not mean we allow inappropriate behaviors with the excuse that "nobody's perfect." That doesn't mean we don't have boundaries and reasonable expectations of people and ourselves. But our expectations need to be reasonable. Expecting perfection is not reasonable. People make mistakes. The less anxious, intimidated, and repressed they are by expectations of being perfect, the better they will do. Striving for excellence, purity in creativity, a harmonious performance, and the best we have to offer does not happen in the stymied, negative, fear-producing atmosphere of expecting perfection.

Have and set boundaries. Have reasonable expectations. Strive to do your best. Encourage others to do the same. But know that we and others will make mistakes. Know that we and others will have learning experiences, things we go through. Sometimes, the flaws and imperfections in ourselves determine our uniqueness, the way they do in a piece of art. Relish them. Laugh at them. Embrace them, and ourselves. Encourage others and ourselves to do the best we can. Love and nurture ourselves and others for being who we are. Then realize we are not merely human--we are intended and created to be human. [The Language of Letting Go]

Food for Thought:
Life is a song -- sing it.
Life is a game -- play it.
Life is a challenge -- meet it.
Life is a dream -- realize it.
Life is a sacrifice -- offer it.
Life is a love -- enjoy it.