Lately I have been puzzling over the difference between the ” just rightness ” of  going for excellence and the ” just rightness ” of  going for perfection. Going for perfection can so easily turn into perfectionism and leave us feeling depleted, deadened, impatient, and unsatisfied because we can never get it just right. We  feel different though  when we go for excellence. Even when we encounter difficulties and delays, we still feel energized, alive, patient, and full because  simply to go for it feels just right. When we are going for excellence, the process itself is satisfying because we take pleasure in what is and what it can become. When we become perfectionistic,  the process is often irritating because our focus is on what is missing and what is yet to  be attained. If we monitor our feeling state, we can get a sense of which process we’re engaged in and that awareness can help us shift our focus, if  need be, to one that brings softness and a smile rather than hardness and a frown.