virgin islands scene

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
-- George S. Patton
 

 

Friday, October 8, 1999

Reaching for perfection

The way to achieve excellence and perfection is through experience. And experience is filled with mistakes. If it were not, we would not learn very much from it.

It is admirable to aspire to perfection, but foolish indeed to expect that it will come quickly or without mistakes. It certainly pays to expect the best of yourself. It also pays to be realistic. And patient.

Perfection in any endeavor is an aiming point, not a starting point. Let the desire for it push you, but don’t let the absence of it stop you. If you’re ever going to get anything done, you must start somewhere. More specifically, you must start where you are.

Even in our world of instant fortunes, instant communication and instant gratification, it is still true that anything of true and lasting value takes time and effort. Aim for perfection, and follow the less-than-perfect road that will get you there.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©1999 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.