Whichever Way the Toilet Paper Rolls....

Are you a perfectionist?

I have struggled with this for years. Everything had to be ‘just so,’ and no one could ‘do it as good as I could’ so I ended up wearing myself out doing everything.

One day I heard speaker Joyce Meyer talking about perfectionism and how it can be an undue stress upon our lives. The perfectionist within me disagreed…my life was just perfect as it was. However, she suggested that we could give ourselves a break by remembering it is all about Purpose….not Perfection. As long as the intended purpose is being met, the means to get it done should not matter.

It took a couple of days for this message to sink in. I finally got what she was talking about – while sitting on the toilet. I had been raised to put the toilet paper roll on the holder with the paper coming out from the top. This kept the paper sanitary because if you put it on ‘upside down’ you would have to roll it with your dirty hands to get the paper instead of simply pulling it toward you. Besides, pulling the paper toward you is more efficient than rolling it from under the roll.

I don’t know how many times I've had to 'fix' the toilet paper at my home and office because others loaded it wrong! It was irritating to take the roll off, turn it around the right way and put it back on the holder before I could use it. One day I figured out that both ways give you the paper! And that is what its purpose is in the first place. You may have to work a little harder if it is put on ‘backwards,’ but you can still get it!

Remember 'toilet paper' the next time you stress over something in your life.

Is the Purpose being served even if it COULD be done better your way?

Purpose over Perfection – it took toilet paper to teach me a lesson!

Perfection is not necessary because the Purpose is being fulfilled whichever way the paper rolls!