Blindspot!
From Issue: 727 [Read full issue]
Perfection
Improvement is a far more realistic goal than perfection. When we believe "we must be this" we ignore who or what we actually are, our capacity and our limitations. We start from the image of perfection, and of course, from perfection there is nowhere to go but down.
When we think, "I want my parents to see me as the perfect daughter," all we can do is fail. First, perfection is unattainable. Second, we can't control how people perceive us. Lastly, there is no way that we can do every single thing that is expected of us or that we expect of ourselves.
When our goal is growth and we say, "I'd like to improve this," we start from where and who we are. "I'd like to work on my relationship with my parents" is a completely different goal from "I want my parents to see me as the perfect daughter."
When we give ourselves permission to be imperfect, when we find self-worth despite our imperfections, when we build connection networks that affirm and value us as imperfect beings, we are much more capable of change.
Compiled From:
"I Thought It Was Just Me" - Brene Brown, p. 196