I have impatiently pursued perfection all my life. Intellectually, I fully know that it is the patience and imperfections that sometimes hold the greatest potential, but emotionally it is harder to accept. I have just now begun to appreciate that the true joy of a journey is the ‘patient perfection’ that comes from many unplanned trips. This realization of ‘patient perfection’ was most obvious to me during my visit at the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko in 2008. There I was, standing in front of a famous Japanese calligraphy. It was a quote by Toshogu himself. Tokugawa Ieyasu (January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. The quote says:
“Life is like unto a long journey with a heavy burden.
Let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not.
Persuade thyself that imperfection and inconvenience are the natural lot of mortals, and there will be no room for discontent, neither for despair.
When ambitious desires arise in thy heart, recall the days of extremity thou has passed through.
Forbearance is the root of quietness and assurance forever.
If thou knowest only what it is to conquer, and knowest not what it is like to be defeated, woe unto thee; it will fare ill with thee.
Find fault with thyself rather than with others.”
And I unequivocally agree!
