Shedding the vile traits of perfectionism is no easy feat. It takes work and energy and repetition to undo years of self-inflicted damage, and mental gymnastics to switch up a train of thought that long ago left the station. Yet that’s precisely what I’ve been learning to do, and a major part of that is owning up to mistakes, learning from them, accepting they will happen, and not letting them completely derail the day.
“I am glad that I paid so little attention to good advice; had I abided by it I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes.” ~ Edna St. Vincent Millay
To err is human, and before I even get to forgiveness, I have to learn to be a better human. One thing at a time. This is challenging enough on its own. To sit with your missteps, and to be ok with what you have done takes time and practice. I’ve only been working on this stuff for a couple of months, but I’ve felt a change already. It’s not always comfortable, and some days I think I’ve tried to do too much, but still I keep going, still I hang on and do my best. I fail a little, and then I try to do better. The overall arc is upward.
“It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.” ~ Winston Churchill
No one is right all of the time. No one is perfect. Humans are messy creatures – mentally, emotionally, physically – we stumble through our lives barely keeping our shit together. Even the most seemingly flawless person has their faults and imperfections. Usually we love them more for it, as it’s difficult to relate to someone who comes close to perfect.
“It is always a mistake to be plain-spoken.” ~ Gertrude Stein
So let this post be a reminder, mostly to myself, that we are all no more than human. We will not achieve the perfection that is unattainable based on our inherent natures. We were not designed to be without flaws. They make us who we are – and they make us better.
“Some of the worst mistakes in my life were haircuts.” ~ Jim Morrison
