Not So Perfect

Throughout my life I have been a "Type A" type person, a perfectionist.

It is something I have gradually chipped away at over the years. Meditation has been a big help. I have learned to be more ok with my faults, let things be messy more often and hold my tongue many times when I have felt like saying something critical. I have worked on becoming a more relaxed and easygoing person. I have worked on dropping battles that are not worth fighting. Having kids has really helped me to work on that.

But as much work that I have done and continue to do, I will never perfectly remove my perfectionism!!! I will continue to be imperfectly perfectionistic in many ways!

The cure for perfectionism is not to strive to remove perfectionism. That is just more perfectionism, isn't it?! Striving to achieve perfect calm and perfect patience and perfect releasing of control doesn't really work.

I want to change, but how does a perfectionist work to cure their perfectionism? No striving. No analyzing. No intellectualizing. Acceptance only. Love only.

I will not lower my standards and I will not give up my values. But I can accept myself for who I am and accept things the way they are. There is a difference between perfectionism and wanting to be a better person. But at times it can be a fine line.