ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

Consider the success of imperfect people in the Bible. One of the main things I’ve learned from the Bible over the years is that God uses faulty people to accomplish His purposes. Jacob was a de- ceiver, Rahab a prostitute, Moses a murderer, David an adulterer and murderer, Peter a deserter, and Paul a persecutor.Yet, they, along with others like them, made great impact on behalf of the faith. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:27). See mistakes as opportunities for growth. Perfectionists go to great lengths to avoid getting it wrong, yet it’s such situations that usually teach us the most about who we are and what we’re capable of. Take for example the 19 th century gifted violinist and show- man Nicolo Paganini. He was playing beautifully through a difficult piece of music one night in front of a packed house, surrounded by full orchestra support, when suddenly one of the strings on his instrument snapped. Ever the professional, he continued to play, improvising beautifully. To the conductor’s surprise, a second string broke, and soon a third, leaving him only one string on which to finish the perfor- mance.When Paganini finished, the audience rose up in good Italian fashion, shouting “Bravo! Bravo!” When the applause subsided, he asked the audience to sit down, holding the violin high for everyone to see. He nodded at the conductor to begin the encore and then turned back to the crowd, shouting, “Paganini… and one string!”After that he placed the sin- gle-stringed Stradivarius beneath his chin and played the final piece as the audience and conductor shook their heads in amazement. 99 You’ll come out better in the long run by getting it wrong now and then rather than always getting it right. Focus more on the journey than the destination. Perfec- tionists can get so obsessed with the product that they don’t enjoy

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