Day 136/366 days Towards Self-Mastery.
The striving for perfection is like a straight-jacket that dulls your humanity. It's the carrot at the end of the stick that you'll never reach.
No matter how much money or time or energy you put into something, it's never going to reach the standards of the airbrushed, photoshopped and filtered images in glossy magazines. And would you want it to?
When I discovered the pure escape of imperfection it changed my entire outlook. To allow things to be as they are, the streak on the window after cleaning it, the meal that didn't turn out exactly like the picture in my recipe book, the paper submitted that didn't get a Distinction. The release of tension was profound.
For decades the drive for perfection was the compass point I followed, and in turn demanded the same of those who worked for me. In some way this perfection was validation of my worth.
Sarah has quoted Anne Wilson Schaef, "Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order". I can only agree.
Enjoy the freedom of imperfection.
There's a popular idiom nowadays; progress, not perfection. And even that is another demand, a challenge to meet.
What is progress exactly? Progress to me is simply being me. It's not reaching anymore for something I don't have or can't do, or need to learn.
Progress is about being more and more of me and who I am in this moment.
It that looks like learning something, then learning it will be. If that's about sitting and sipping a cup of tea whilst gazing out the window, so be it. Perhaps its writing an assignment, or seeing a client. Just one proviso. Is this me? Is this who I really want to be? Am I being me right here, right now?
A conversation with a friend, some advice for my son. A cobweb that needs removing but I'm feeling too lazy right now.
There's a science to this existence, and in order to be in the flow of life we need to be who we are in each here and now moment. Then the resonant field around us will take care of everything else. That is all the perfection we need.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.
Comments