How the Light Gets In
May 24, 2017
“Perfectionism is our denial of two very basic truths of
existence: we are not perfect; and we are not, ultimately, in control. When we
absorb the law of perfection, we are infected with the virus of self-doubt,
which eats away at every area of our lives. The more perfect we are, we
believe, the more valid we are as people. But with every advance in one area,
we find ourselves wanting in another. We worry that we are not good enough,
and, therefore, on some level that we do not deserve love, happiness, or maybe
even life itself.
“We fear our imperfections will expose us as failures when
actually they show the places we have grown, the markers of our realizations,
our unique situation in the sands of time and cycles of nature. In the words of
Leonard Cohen, ‘There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.’”
—Lucy H. Pearce, “Overcoming Perfectionism in a Culture
That Promotes It,” Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, ed. by Lori
Deschene
6 comments
Lucy is spot on in her answer. Perfectionism is another way fear manifests. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to "perform" at the peak of our abilities, there's definitely something wrong when we use that as a reason/excuse to not even begin or try.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder, said the "recovering" perfectionist.
Laure--From one recovering perfectionist to another! Glad this one resonated.
ReplyDeleteI recently had a vivid learning opportunity in which I revisited the phenomenon of imperfect humans trying to be perfect...I have to keep re visiting it, because my nature wants to tread down that road...
ReplyDeleteIs that your photo? It is stunningly beautiful...
Kathy - this was a wonderful thought. Thanks so much for sharing. Hope you are having a lovely day. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteRita--I think most of us are frequently confronted with learning opportunities like yours! You're not alone! I'm sure you handled it beautifully.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's my photo--thank you. It's from Antelope Canyon X in Arizona.
You're most welcome, Debbie. Hope you're having a great week.
ReplyDelete