Good, better, best. None of the above?

Most people want the best in their life. The best house, the best car, the best job, the best family. Myself included. But when does striving for the best life has to offer go from boon to vice?

All throughout my teenage years I was taught by various teachers, church leaders, and even my parents to priortize my life along the parameters of good, better, best. It makes sense after all, why set your sights on something good when you can aim for something better? In many ways this line of reasoning has been to my benefit, but on more than a few occasions this personal philosophy has left me missing out on many great opportunites because I was busy "looking beyond the mark."

One looks beyond the mark by passing up on great opportunities chasing after something that looks better on paper, but in reality is unobtainable. It also means waiting for those proverbial stars to align and everything to be in its perfect and proper place before acting. It means giving up on something good because of a possibility that something better might be out there. Finally it means wanting a perfect life, but not even understanding what it means to be perfect.

When we think of something that is perfect we think of something without any flaws. What we often fail to realize is that to be perfect can also mean to be whole or complete. When we look at perfection in this light, it becomes much less complicated. 

When I finally understood what perfection really meant it helped me to realize that I was not in fact prioritizing my life around what was good, better, or best. Rather I was only prioritizing what was best, leaving no room for anything else. In order to have a complete life I need to accept that not everything will be the best.

I don't plan to settle on anything less than I deserve. I do plan, however, to start enjoying the good things in my life while what's better and best make their way to me that I might have a whole and complete life.