Finally Friday.

Off to Austin for a bachelorette this weekend and totally jazzed about it.

Finally Friday-Is that how you feel? In case you're wondering, it's totally how I feel.

What's been on my mind is something a little more close to home, and serious. 

The quest for perfection. As my cousin said "our biggest demon".

It eats you too, doesn't it? (Just nod yes anyways...) I am constantly in my own head...telling myself to work harder, that it's not enough, that I need to be better.  I read this article sent to me by a great friend, and this really hit me:

Why, when we know that there's no such thing as perfect, do most of us spend an incredible amount of time and energy trying to be everything to everyone?

I really struggle with this.  I am the hardest person on myself. I always told my parents-no worries, you don't have to punish me, I've already done that. I drown in guilt, in doubt.

This, my friends, is the evil of perfectionism. This is NOT the same as striving to be our best.  So let's take the guilt/comparison/self loathing out of perfectionism and turn all of that into motivation and positivity so we can channel our efforts more efficiently and effectively. Easier said than done? Yep.

Comparison is the thief of joy-Teddy Roosevelt

Wise words.  That has been my theme this past month. 

Another great part of the article:

What's the greater risk? Letting go of what people think -- or letting go of how I feel, what I believe, and who I am?  So, how do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to embrace our imperfections and to recognize that we are enough -- that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy? Why we're all so afraid to let our true selves be seen and known. Why are we so paralyzed by what other people think?

We are wired to want in our deepest desires to love, to be loved, and to belong.  Women actually have a harder time believing they are WORTHY of love (surprise, surprise).  We create a laundry list of "to-dos" because when those are checked off, surely we'll be more worthy. Lose weight, work out, cut hair, climb Everest, do laundry, wash windows......STOP!

We have to have the courage to put our vulnerability on the line, embrace our uniqueness and imperfections, and use them to strive to be our best, instead of wanting to destroy them. 

I don't think I realized I was going to write such a serious post, but this has been on my mind for WEEKS and the article was sent to me today.  Whenever I make a mistake at work, or home, or with friends, or family, I beat myself down.  I apologize several times.  But you know what? We ALL make mistakes. NO ONE is perfect, even if they try to make you believe they are.  My talents are different than others around me.  My imperfections are what make me whole. All of this makes me human, worthy of love, and striving for courage.

So stew on that, why don't you. Maybe a little at a time we can chip away the walls that we're holding ourselves in, and let go of all that tension.