“That was almost perfect!”
Linda Parelli always says that after having a lesson with Walter Zettl, she would feel so good about what she achieved and proud. Mr. Zettl would just smile and say, “That was almost perfect!” Never did, or does, Linda receive that 100% praise (even though Mr. Zettl telling you your work is almost perfect is quite the praise!!).
This is definitely done on purpose. It’s not saying that Linda is somehow not good enough, but that she can always be better. That moment where we tell ourselves we are so perfect, is the moment we stop trying to improve upon what we can already do.
When I train, I try to pick up on this “almost perfect” habit. Even if I feel like I can’t do it any better, I still say, “Better luck next time!” The truth is, we can never do anything perfectly. It’s impossible! So we can relax and be happy about the fact that we can always improve and so can every one else.
