spiritual sweat. As you like it

The quest for perfection has always been a driving force for mankind. We don’t just seek perfection, we even obsess over it. Within ourselves, in things around us and in what we do, often mistaking it for a pathway to fame and happiness. Of creating something so phenomenal that will catapult us into an unreal world.

Quite often they lose sight of the big picture in this wild goose chase. Funny thing is, the perception of perfect is so damn contradictory. Whichever way you look at it. That picture perfect face is so plastic for some. A perfect house is cold and unwelcoming to others. That perfect view is sometimes quite ordinary.

My daughter will find a perfectly cooked medium rare steak totally gross. I will love it. My perfect glass of wine is not at all one that my friend would be happy with. My perfect cocktail may not be perfect after all...

I’m not saying it won’t ever happen. Once you understand what perfection actually means, in all likelihood you may just have your day in the sun. I have, through my long and eventful career, come across a whole heap of bartenders, young and old, who have offered me their perfect cocktail or waxed eloquent about it. Eager beavers have asked me for my perfect drink. They have endlessly sought the secret of creating that perfect concoction. They look at me in absolute disbelief when I tell them there are no secrets and there is no perfect recipe. This is one subject without any grammar or boundaries.

It’s quite simple. You’ll never know how the perfect cocktail that you came up with impacts someone unless they try it. If you have clearly fathomed the need of the person, looked inside their mind and their palate, then given them exactly what they were looking for, or better still, exceeded their expectation, that’s when it’s perfect.

I have tweaked all my almost perfect cocktails in a zillion ways to make them just for those who drank them. Each time, it was the look on their face, the glint in the eye and the absolute ‘wow’ that made my heart sing. And still does. Am certain the guys who made Facebook or WhatsApp or the million apps that you think are awesome, all began the same way. Hence the constant updating, as the criteria for what’s perfect keeps changing…

So be the best at what you do and who you are. Strive to rise above your own expectation. And remember that perfection is mirrored in the eye of the beholder.

(Shatbhi Basu is a mixologist, author, television host, and head of Stira bartending academy in Mumbai.)

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