Pursuit of perfection

Jiro Ono, sushi master

I was suppose to be in bed three hours ago. Three and a half hours of cleaning a turkey, making a brine and preparing stock.The kitchen was freezing and there was a warm bed next to a cozy fireplace waiting for me. Could have all of that waited until morning? Of course it could. It is nearing 4 am and I am exhausted. For those three and a half hours nothing mattered and I was just focusing on achieving perfection. I never notice how I get into this meditation-like 'zone', but I know it well. It is the same unawareness I get when I am building, designing or shooting. The pursuit of perfection is what gets me up at 3:30 in the morning to get to the studio and what keeps me up hours after I was suppose to be sleeping. It is a dedication to craft and the pursuit of perfection.

Kyudo.

It is all about perfection for me. How can I do one-something as perfectly as I possibly can? Will I ever reach perfection? No, I do not believe I will ever reach perfection in anything. I could shoot an arrow everyday for the rest of my life and will probably never attain an absolute perfection. I do not believe perfection is ever meant to be attained. It feels like reaching up and trying to grab the moon. So, why bother if you can't attain perfection? I believe it is the discipline, commitment to the craft and pure pleasure that drives people to put aside their comfort to reach a higher level of meditation. It is not about doing something as quickly as you can to finish a goal, but more about having the pride to perform each individual task as perfectly as you possibly can to accumulate towards a goal. It is really easy to notice how much someone takes pride in their craft. I know I may feel (and look) like crap after, but emotionally and spiritually I feel content. This pursuit of perfection will always make me strive for better. I feel there would be nothing more to advance if I ever reach perfection. With the weekend approaching, I hope everyone gets to set aside some time to immerse yourself in something that brings your great pride and joy.