as saying, "A wonderful pastor once told me, 'Perfectionism is the highest order of self-abuse,"' she tells the magazine. "So now I try to remind myself that if I engage in perfectionism, I am abusing myself. Period."
This interested me because I read once in a Christian women's magazine that women who are perfectionistic housekeepers never feel good enough. This can be a spiritual problem, because if one "isn't good enough" then it is hard to accept true Grace and feel forgiven.
How do you react to the quote and the concept from that magazine?
there was a period in my life when I was a serious perfectionist. pure and rigorous.
ReplyDeletenow I am no longer.
it is only by grace that I saw and let go.
so when I read the quote, I thought: yes. but my second thought was: thank you, Dear Lord. no longer.
a priest told me once: "If anything is worth doing, it is worth half-doing."
raised on the traditional ending to that maxim, I was greatly relieved to find out how impossible it is to be perfect yet how dearly we are treasured by G-d as we are.
all of these thoughts (and more) rushed through me at one particular time in my life; and then I was healed. only by grace.
and I remain eternally grateful.
Maggie
I've found that when I get into a perfectionistic mindset about something, I make it out to be such a big deal that I can't get started. But I often have to remind myself that doing it somewhat or pretty well, but not perfect is much, much better than not doing it at all.
ReplyDeleteHowever, since I went to the largest high school in a five state area, I never felt good enough at anything, no matter how hard I tried anything. I'm grateful that my kids go to a small school where they have the option to try anything that is offered.
This resonates with me. I, too, heard that saying, with a slightly different twist: if it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorly.
ReplyDeleteMy housework is very worthy, I might add. ;)
My reaction is to say "Hooray!" For some this is an excuse for needless sloppiness, but for others, well, it sets us free.
ReplyDeleteGod alone is perfect. If we wait for perfection we will never be hospitable, never attempt something difficult or challenging, never step out of what know to expand our lives. How sad that is when it happens, as it did to me for way too long!