In the epilogue to her book I Am Maria, Maria Shriver invites readers to discern how we can engage with our imperfect world:  

Everywhere I seem to look these days, I see people suffering from pain and heartbreak. Struggle and loneliness. I sense a yearning for something different, something more spiritual.

What is often feels fragile and uncertain, and everything we thought we knew about ourselves and the world seems to change by the day. We are told these are unprecedented times, but I think this is simply life. 

In this time of constant change and constant noise, each of us has an opportunity for introspection, an awakening, and a more fulfilling life. All of the old rules are gone, which means it’s a good time for each and every one of us to dig deep and ask ourselves why am I here, what is my purpose, who do I want to become, how do I want to leave a mark on this world, and do I have the courage to examine and possibly alter old beliefs that may be keeping me stuck in a life I’m not meant to be in? 

Life offers a full range of experiences and emotions to each of us. No one escapes the forces and events we are sure will break us. But understanding that those same events are as much a part of one’s life as achieving our dreams—getting that perfect job, falling in love, having a baby—is a valuable life lesson. Having a full, meaningful life means embracing the whole of life—the perceived bad as well as the perceived good.

Shriver began to write poetry as a way of expressing her desire “to embrace the whole of life.” Here is her poem “Picture Perfect.”  

I thought I had it all   
Or so it seemed to me 
The picture I painted in my head looked beyond perfect to me 
I’ve come to understand that there is no such thing 

Perfect is what we tell ourselves 
What we long to project 
Perfect is just an illusion that covers up the cracks 
So afraid are we of what we cannot see 
That we attach to picture perfect 
And just let it be 

Perfect is what we tell others 
So they look and wonder why 
Why they don’t have perfect in their eyes 

The truth is no one ever lives a perfect little life 
We all have cracks and fissures 
Life is just like that 
But I must say for me 
I thought I had it all 
Or at least enough to suffice 
That is 
                         Until my perfect ran out of time  

Do YOU think YOU have it all? What are YOU missing?

AGING IS GOD’S IDEA. IT’S ONE OF THE WAYS GOD KEEPS US HEADED HOME TO HIM!

Do share today’s message with someone who often says, “Perfect” as an ongoing response.