Don’t let better be the enemy of GOOD!

This is a quote from Ron, the nurse we visited with during Marek’s last check up at Children’s Mercy Hospital.  Marek had a great check up, his A1C was 6.5, this is GREAT!!  A1C is the measure of his long term average blood sugars.  The goal is 7 or lower so 6.5 is pretty cool.  He has friend of similar age with an A1C of 9.5 so yeah, this was great news second quarter in a row.  However, his A1C could be better.  Like, 5 would be AWESOME!!  But wouldn’t it be a super drag to ruin the celebration of a GREAT check up??

I guess the point of the statement is that it is important to revel in and appreciate the good things we have when we have them.  This has been a theme subtly recurring throughout the last month, since our visit to CMH.  Marek wrote this on our “To Do” board, “Love the things God has given you, not the things he hasn’t!” last week!  I loved it and told him so!  Then, today we saw the movie, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” – the third Narnia movie and Prince Caspian said, “I spent too much time seeking what I had lost and not being thankful for what I had been given.”  Then, I checked my email and received an update from Gretchen Rubin who wrote a great post on her blog today at The Happiness Project - Lower the Bar about sometimes lowering your standards.  Yes, lowering the bar, dropping our standards for certain things.  It sounds convoluted but I think it’s true.  Gretchen Rubin quotes Voltaire, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of good.”  Sounds a lot like Nurse Ron doesn’t it?? 

I think it’s true that we should take time to be thankful for what we have and in fact realize that something is better than nothing.  Life is full of achievements that are out of reach today.  That doesn’t mean that the work we did today was not worthwhile.  The fitness ponder for example, there is no end really.  You can’t get fit and stop working out, you lose it!   You can’t maintain a good relationship without constant work but it wouldn’t be much of a relationship if you didn’t enjoy the daily moments along the way.  You have to maintain and continually challenge yourself to grow and improve.  This applies to so many parts of life, we reach and strive for the next level all the while failing to appreciate the place we are.  Doh! 

I’m not really a very good perfectionist since I’m so scattered and random.  But, I am a bit of a control freak on many things.  It is sometimes a struggle to accept good as good enough.  To slow down and be thankful for each moment of the day.  I can do this in some areas more easily than others.  It’s a good goal – I do a good job of striving for it.  I know I can’t do it perfectly and I usually give myself credit for working hard to love each moment!  How does this theory work for you?  Are you able to appreciate what you have when you have it?  I hope so!!  “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of good.”  Appreciate today for today and look forward to tomorrow! 

- Denise