Giving Up Perfection

I recently gave a Sunday message of releasing perfectionism that is continuing to work me. We talked about the worldly definition of perfection, without any errors, in comparison with the Divine definition, which is including all. I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise that this continues to be a challenge for me. I had forty-ish years of ingraining the old worldly way before I began to shift in earnest to a process-focused, people-focused, love-focused approach to the world. That's a lot of opportunity to strengthen the neural-net in my brain to be addicted to the idea that perfection equals value. How frustrating it is to realize that I can't be a perfectionist about giving up perfectionism! Like anything else, I have to accept setbacks and resets as a part of the process.

Bit by bit, I notice changes. I see myself sharing my mistakes quickly and without shame, so they can be cleaned up. I notice that I am much more likely to speak my truth, whether it is about how I'm feeling or what I prioritize. I can see that I still very much want to be perceived as "good" at whatever I'm doing, but there is not an edge of competition or needing to be the best. And when I slide, which of course I do, my beloved friends are here to remind me that I am already enough. For me, that is a huge part of what spiritual community is about.