When Perfectionism Wears a Mask

Boundaries, routines, principles, discernment: profound uses of our minds to carve out the kind of world we want to live in.

I’ve come to learn that because these practices, though born from wholeness and Spirit, get filtered through the mind, and can mistakenly create a warped version of what I truly want.

I can convince myself that a boundary facing this way or a principle about what kind of actions I’ll allow and not allow are free from my mind’s innocent attempt at keeping me safe and small. Yet they are not.

The reality is that without non-attachment, humor, and surrender, “discernment” is just a mask for perfectionism and even judgment.

While my body can tell me if something is off, the thing is: humans almost always have something off because we have such rich, complicated lives. So, I haven’t found that to be wholly reliable.

What is reliable: to get present in the moment and ask myself if I can relax into something or if I do need to pump the brakes. Then, trust whatever choice I make and keep going. Life only goes forward. I won’t waste too many moments trying to make it perfect.