I’m sure it was evident to most everyone who knew me but sometimes it takes me a little while (or a long while…) to see something in myself. You see this thing I have shows up in all different forms. I pushed to do well at piano, I wanted to excel at speech, I didn’t want to do such and such because I was afraid that it wouldn’t be just so. Heck I even looked for a pair of black pumps for OVER a year because I wanted them to be perfect (O.K. that and I wanted them to be comfortable which is basically an oxymoron). Ahh but perfectionism was a mean master to me. It drove me to miss out on the fun of piano at times, it kept me from enjoying the thrill of speaking in front of people. It held me back from pursing my dreams. It isn’t wrong to want to do something well. In fact that is a good thing but good things can take over our lives and when they do that they stop being good for us. I am not perfect and the only One who is perfect is Jesus. The incredible, beautiful thing is that he has made me perfect in him. So I can rest and stop striving. I can do my best and be content. I can push publish on a post even if it isn’t just so… Because I am imperfect I see how much I need the perfect One. Does perfectionism hold you back from really growing into being your best??
Wow Elaini. So true, so true. Thank you for writing this. Would you mind sharing more on how you overcame?
Hmm yes I might have to put that in another post! 🙂
too true, Elaini.
It’s kinda funny/sad to me how it all works…
Maybe not so much in perfectionism, I know that I can never be perfect. But I try really hard to be close to perfect in almost everything. So thanks for the reminder!
Also remember though that though we cannot be perfect, doing our best and a little bit better never hurt. Being and over achiever is not a bad thing if it is kept in check. So if you want to take a few extra minutes to edit your post, go ahead. I am a blog writer too and I understand that feeling of “oh it’s not perfect”. But something else that comes with the territory of Christian blogging is letting Jesus talk through you. Sometimes when I am writing I don’t feel like it is good enough, but I also don’t feel the peace to change anything. And then I get a surprise later when someone else is really affected by what I wrote.
Thanks for being a faithful poster!
Yes it is good to do our best. I’m not say to not do that! I think it is more about obsessing over things…
i do struggle with trying to be perfect in different areas of my life. it breeds discontent.
Hmm I like how you put that. Yes it does breed discontent…
haha, thank ya! 🙂
I can see where perfectionism can be a good thing! Awesome outfit! (applause) 🙂
Hahha! Thank you. 🙂
Yes, that is so true! Sometimes I try to be wayyy to perfect in certain areas. A lot of it isn’t bad, but innocent perfections can lead to cumbersome ones that cause damage and cause me to rely in myself, rather than on God for guidance in my life.
I was designing a poster with someone from our church and I had to fix a tiny little dot of paint that had somehow managed to get into the wrong place. He said, “Why did you fix that?” I said, something along the lines of, “I’m kind of a perfectionist with a lot of things. I can’t stand anything messy.” then he turned and replied “Well, maybe that needs to change.” I didn’t really understand what he meant. Its not that there’s a problem with being a perfectionist with art, but there is a problem when you try to be so perfect that you don’t let God take a hold, and lead you. You can’t run your own life if you’ve given yourself to Him.
It isn’t bad to do your best and even to push yourself at times but it is when it starts getting obsessive that you start having problems. When it distracts from other things you should be doing or spending your time on. Also you don’t want to spend your whole life frustrated because something isn’t just “so”.
So very true and well put, Elaini!
I definitely struggle with perfectionism in my own life.
Your post is good food for contemplative thought.
Blessings,
Sarah
P.S. That top you are wearing in the picture is so very lovely! (It looks comfy too! Which, is always a plus.)
Thanks Sarah. 🙂
I never really realized until this past year or so how perfectionism isn’t really a good thing…
Glad it was able to get you thinking about it.
Yes it is comfy. 😀
I saw this quote on http://www.thefrugalgirl.com last week… ‘I am not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.’ I had to ponder on it for a while, but I get it. And, it is so true!!
Thanks for sharing that! 🙂