om monday: all or nothing

i have to admit, i'm a follower of the "all or nothing" thought process from time to time.  it's not something that i'm proud of, but it's something i've come to recognize and work with.

in case you're unfamiliar, "all or nothing" thinking goes like this - "ugh, i already ate way to many sweets....might as well have some more since healthy eating is shot for today". or maybe a few obstacles come up as you begin to pursue a new venture and you throw in the towel.  all or nothing is the code of the perfectionist.  either things are perfect or they're not...there's no in between.  no gray area.  no room for growth.

credit {here}

when we harden around trying to be perfect, we close ourselves off from boundless opportunities.  yoga teaches it differently.  it's about the balance of effort and ease.  yoga lives in the zone between your current abilities and your absolute highest potential.  you cannot be a perfectionist with yoga - or you'll quit.  no one can do all the poses perfectly all the time.  the beauty of the practice comes from walking on the edge of your comfort zone and discovering in what areas you can grow.

in yoga class i have been able to let go of my "all or nothing" perfectionist tendencies.  enjoying exactly where i am, because i've seen gradual improvements from showing up day after day.  and i know that i will continue to grow.  it's not about getting full form of the pose now, it's about appreciating where my body can go today while also knowing there is unlimited potential for expansion if i keep showing up for myself.

now, the next step is to take those lessons off the mat and into my daily life.  remembering it's not about perfection, it's about practice.

namaste : )

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The Myth of Perfection

As I've mentioned, I'm currently working on my latest book (working title Health, Happiness & Home).  It's going to address how to live your best life by listening to your intuition, simplifying your life and home and seeking beauty in all things, including yourself.  Here is a taste of what I'm working on...

     The myth of perfection permeates our lives. We constantly measure ourselves and our lives against standards that no one (or at most very, very few individuals) can attain. Worse yet, when we fall short of these unrealistic ideals, we criticize ourselves and feel like failures. We believe that we have to be the perfect wife, sister, daughter, mother, employee, boss, lover, etc. in order for our lives to feel happy and complete.

     This idea that only perfection is acceptable; only perfection can be appreciated, only perfection can be loved drives many of our lifestyle decisions and goals. Yet, these goals, as important as they may seem, are often completely ego-centric and unattainable. We scrutinize every pound we gain and turn to unhealthy methods to lose weight, truly believing that if we could weigh a bit less (or a lot less), we would be able to get our lives on track and find that elusive harmony and true satisfaction we’ve been craving. We wish for more money, nicer clothes, a bigger home and better car, thinking that if we only possessed these tangible symbols of happiness, we would truly be happy. But, as physical as these emblems of success and happiness might be, they’re not real. They are not (and never will be) what truly makes us happier, healthier and saner.

     The problem is that the concept of perfection is flawed. The notion that only perfect, ideal, faultless beings are allowed to partake in what makes life miraculous and are the only ones deserving of true happiness is ludicrous! Nobody is perfect. No one has their act together all the time. The trick is to do the best you can with what you’ve got and have faith that if you believe that you deserve happiness, happiness will undoubtedly begin to make its way into your life.

So there you have it.  Just a little sample of what I'm working on.  Hope you enjoyed it!  And keep checking back for more : ).