A man feared his wife wasn’t hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid.

Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family doctor to discuss the problem. The doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

“Here’s what you do,” said the doctor, “stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.”

That evening, the wife was in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he washing the den. He said to himself, “I’m about 40 feet away, let’s see what happens.”

Then in a normal tone he asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”

No response.

So the husband moved to closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeated, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”

Still no response.

Next he moved into the dining room where he was about 20 feet from his wife and asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”

Again he gets no response.

So, he walked up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. “Honey, what’s for dinner?”

Again there is no response…

So he walked right up behind her. “Honey, what’s for dinner?”

;

;

;

;

;

“James, for the fifth time I’ve said, pasta!”

The problem may not be with the other one, as we always think. It could be very much within us…! The quest should be to perfect ourselves and not to waste time trying to straighten out other people’s imagined flaws. We need to perfect ourselves, not the world. Who are we to judge others? When we stop expecting people to be perfect, we can like them for who they are. 

“You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success — none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here.” — Ram Dass

Perfection is the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects.  Perfection is desirable but never can one say that they are perfect. Rather one must continue to strive for self-improvement and personal development to the best of one’s abilities, but avoid being obsessive perfectionist. That will surely lead to stress.

“Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give up as unattainable.” — Lord Chesterfield

“Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” — Voltaire

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” — Aristotle

“Fix your eyes on perfection and you make almost everything speed towards it.” — William Ellery Channing

The true perfection of man lies not in what man has, but in who man is in Reality and ultimately realizing his true Self.