Does Seeking Perfection Lead to Overwhelm?

Today I am going to share a personal story with you as I feel it is an experience many of us can connect with. I would ask that you find a quiet few moments to read this article and reflect on its meaning to you and its application to your life. As the days fly by and winter turns to spring, we often do not take the time to reflect on the messages in our lives. Please do carve five minutes out of your day for quiet reflection. I promise you, your life will be all the better for it.

And now my story:

In the past every thing I wanted to do had to be perfect, or else I would not be satisfied.

Though I strove for perfection, I, of course, doubted my abilities to do things to perfection. Often, I would compare myself to others and judge myself not to be up to par. My quest for perfection exhausted me – and only made it more difficult for me to reach my goal. Sadly, I did not trust myself. I did not have any confidence in my abilities and did not trust that life would turn out as perfectly as I expected it to.

This mindless pursuit of perfection at all costs - all it did for me was to create mountains of confusion, anxiety, fear, overwhelm ……… which kept me from living my life to the fullest and ironically took me further away from my goals. I kept myself in a “prison like” situation, a slave to the God of Perfection. The more I did this, the more doubts and fears I had about everything and every one. It was a negative pattern that only intensified each time I repeated the cycle. n
Looking at this situation today I note:

I finally released myself from the need to be perfect after surpassing a great crisis in my life. While the crisis was at full bloom, I was of course full of blame, self-loathing and rejection. But once the crisis resolved, I was transformed into the person I am today.

I can appreciate the need for the crisis to have manifested in my life and am deeply grateful for the chance it gave me to turn my life around.

I understand the beauty that has sprouted from adversity. I can point to many positive changes in my life: I am much calmer, less exhausted, healthier, more cheerful, more successful… joyful… productive. I trust in myself more and am more trusting of others and the journey of life.

And now, years after having lived through the crisis and thrived, I can honestly state Life is perfect! I truly believe that whatever happens in my life happens for a reason. It does not mean that I am enjoying having gone through a tremendous crisis, but I have to acknowledge that it changed my entire life and, most importantly, the way I see and perceive myself today.
I will be honest: I travelled a long personal journey to get where I am now – to this place of acceptance and peace with former challenges and to eradicate former patterns of negative behaviour.

It has been a long journey, but it has been worth the effort. And best of all, I do not have the urge to be perfect any longer! I am committed only to concentrating on always doing my best at any given moment. I have a huge trust in myself that I am able to do this. It gives me immense relief and sets free a lot of energy. I now have rewarding experiences which in due cause support me to grow and further trust my abilities.

I leave perfection to life! n
When a friend of mine had a horrible car accident some years ago, he told me: “Deep dow
I know this was a sign for me to change my life. I got a second chance!” Like me, he accepted and trusted that this had happened to him for a reason: To wake him up and make him change his life!

So today after reading this article, I want you to sit and reflect on your life and the struggles, challenges and successes of your journey. I want you to look deep inside and ask yourself if you need transformation. Don’t wait for a wake up call or a second change – change your life now! It’s within you to do so! I trust in you!