Do you ever stop and realize that you are being critical of yourself?  You make a simple mistake and feel all is lost?

Do you hear critical, cutting comments in your head?  Some that you would be appalled to hear if someone else had said them?  Why do you expect perfection here and now?

Perfectionism: “a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less.”  So, where is the grace needed to learn from life’s experiences if one is constantly going up and down on the teeter totter of either completely perfect or completely failed?  Doesn’t that sound crazy, and familiar? 

What if we gave up perfectionism?  And replaced that expectation with a goal to excel?  Would that lighten our loads and make the disappointing moments less of a worry?

When I think of excellence, I think of doing something, small or large, with my full attention and with care.  And I can do that.

On the flip side, the expectation of perfectionistic thinking is an eventual, no inevitable fall, a disappointment waiting to happen.  And the anticipation sets me up for a greater misery when it finally happens.

This year, a focus on excellence is one of my goals.  I expect to make mistakes, to correct them and to learn.  To get into life, to enjoy the challenges and work and people in my life and live without the fear of disappointing myself by being human.

“Human” is where we learn!

Here’s to a learning year, full of grace, for ourselves, and for each other. 

Love,

Jacque