The mainstream American gurus. We know them, we love them. They are becoming household names:

Deepak.

Bikram.

Carolyn Myss.

Eckhart Tolle.

Wayne (Dyer).

But something is changing.

These gurus are acting very Ancient and very Eastern and therefore starting to set themselves up for a very American problem. We don’t like perfection. That’s not the American way.

So when you hear Eckhart Tolle saying on an ABC interview:

Interviewer: “Don’t you ever get pissed off, annoyed, irritated, sad, anything negative?”

Tolle: “No. I accept what is. And that life has become so simple.”

OK. Very wise, very aspirational, and very unrelatable.

And Deepak said in a recent interview, “I haven’t been nervous in thirty years.”

What? Not even once?!

As a consumer of everything Deepak and Eckhart, I felt a disconnect after these statements.

Was I supposed to strive for that same level of contentment and perfection? Their statements made me feel something very different from “wise”…which is about unraveling and revealing, not striving and improving.

******

Yesterday I went to jury duty. When you tell people you have jury duty, the conversation becomes very solemn. But it’s part of being American.

Someone told me how they recently had jury duty with Rudy Guiliani. And others have probably served with Wayne, Deepak, and Carolyn. Point being, we are all in this great big mess of a democracy together. According to our constitution, we have the inalienable right to work harder, earn more, and live better. But that has nothing to do with perfection.

As wisdom carves a greater niche in American life, for what it’s worth, I would like to say to the great American gurus: Don’t tell me about what makes you perfect. I don’t want to hear how you never get mad, never get nervous, never get lonely… how are we supposed to relate to that?

Tell me about what makes you real, what gives you anxiety, how you handle a bad day…the things that most of us deal with on a daily basis.

To all of us out there who feel far from perfect, AMEN! @yeahdave (Click to Tweet!)

To the gap in your teeth, the blemish on your face, the roll on your belly….YES!

To the jitters before your meeting, the sadness in your heart, the longing in your soul…BOOYAKASHA! Keep it real!

I have learned so much from Eckhart, Deepak, Carolyn, Wayne, and Bikram. I thank you every day for your wisdom.

But in your pursuit of perfect, please don’t leave me and my manboobs in the dust.

David “Yeah Dave” Romanelli has played a major role in pioneering the modernization of wellness in the United States. He believes wellness and feeling good is so much more than fancy yoga poses, green juice, and tight-fitting clothes. Dave launched his career fusing ancient wellness practices with modern passions like exotic chocolate, fine wine, and gourmet food by creating Yoga + Chocolate, Yoga + Wine, and Yoga for Foodies. His debut book, Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment, reached #1 on the Amazon Self-Help Bestseller List. Check out his new show Yeah Dave! and discover more about his journey on www.yeahdave.com. Also, Dave will be launching a modern approach to meditation, called MeditateON, very soon, and teaming up with Happier to bring to you a Meditation Vacation.

Image courtesy of John.