Perfection is overrated.

My therapist said I was a perfectionist. I was shocked and defended myself, "Clearly I can't be a perfectionist, have you seen my house"?

Sign #1 that you might be a perfectionist: You don't think you do anything well enough to be called a perfectionist!

The more I considered it, the clearer it became! I have spent much of my life trying to do everything "right". I am a rule follower and a people pleaser. I love doing things I excel at, and desperately avoid doing anything I may fail at, or look like a fool trying! Sure, sometimes it works to my advantage because I will work hard to be great at whatever it is I am doing, but it has also kept me on the sidelines of life, watching and not doing because I feared failure.

I was once told my an acting to teacher to "not be afraid of making wrong choices". I didn't get the depth of what he was saying to me at the time, but what I realize now is his advice applied not just to my acting but to my life as a whole. Being wrong, looking bad, and making a fool of yourself is how you learn what's right, and get better, and discover all of the interesting detours that you lead you to who you were meant to be. Stepping out on a limb where you haven't gone before is scary, but it's those moments when we stare the fear in the face and step out anyway, when we grow the most.

Take the imperfect pictures, tell someone how you feel even when you don't have all the right words figured out, and play the game even if it means you might lose. What you will gain, while it may not be perfect, may be a whole lot more interesting!

If you are a recovering perfectionist like me, I highly recommend the books "The gift of imperfection" by Brene Brown, "The relief of Imperfection by Joan C. Webb and a good study of the book of Romans in the Bible. Getting God's grace has helped me give myself some!