Navajo Rugs
Nature draws in no straight lines and neither should we
Today - this daily journal is available to all my sojourners.
Insight
Perfect
What do we mean by this? Without flaws? Without guile? Without illusion?
Does it mean complete? Right? Lacking nothing?
As an aside, the quest for perfection can become a fixation known as perfectionism. (just add “ism” to anything that you think someone obsesses over). Careful we must be not to ascribe a disorder to someone who simply outranks us.
"She plays to much Dungeons and Dragons - she has dragonism.” “He works too hard - he has workaholisim” “She writes too much - she has writism”Maybe sometimes if somebody has perfectionism, they do not have a disorder or a fixation - maybe they simply outrank you and you’re a little salty about it.
Anyway, for this insight - perfect means calibrated enough, or finished.
Leave it alone - Jon, it’s perfect. You see, I can calibrate and tweak and adjust all day long with something I deem “imperfect”. Eventually, I have to say “it’s done” and move on to the next project.
I recently heard about the Navajo women who sew rugs with beautiful patterns woven into the fabric. However, they always (on purpose) place errors within the patterns in order to teach that no one scores 100% in life - there are always imperfections to be found. And so they make a game of it - they hide the imperfections and see who can find them.
I found out about the Navajo women who make rugs imperfect on purpose in order to teach that nothing in life is perfect. See if you can spot the imperfections in each pattern.
Question
How does your mind define perfect?
How does your family define perfect?
How does God define perfect?
Do these answers agree?
Find an area of your life where you have an obsession with perfect - your craft, your writing, your marriage, your religion - and ask yourself “how does perfectionism help me?” How does it hinder me?
After all, nothing is perfect, even our quest for perfect - there are benefits and drawbacks, so ask yourself - When did my quest for being perfect help me? When did it hurt?
Direction
Ch’ihónít’i is the word to describe the meaning that nothing, save God, is perfect, and therefore we should, in all our endeavors, leave a little nod towards that notion in respect.
Today, in your endeavor, leave a little thread of imperfection to symbolize your relationship to the Great Creator of Life and the Spirit of the Mother - Source. How will you personally do this?
As always, sojourner, may your story continue.