Maybe it's waking up to sunshine after a couple of days of clouds.
Maybe its a warm and cuddly Roxy Dog sleeping in my lap.
Maybe its because of Rob finally winning Survivor last night and now the world can move on.
More than likely, it's the Bible verse that I read this morning.
You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
1 Peter 3:4 NLT
Something just clicked in my mind and right now, I have figured out that I don't need to be perfect. Which is a really good thing, because no matter how hard I work, how much I fuss and fight with me, I will never, ever be perfect.
I think back to last fall as the leaves were starting to drop. I was taking my daily walk and I had my camera with me. I was searching for a perfect fall leaf to take a picture of. I never found one.
Want to know why? Because there was not a leaf to be found that would have met my idea of perfection. I was able to find a flaw in every single one that I picked up.
Want to know why? Because there was not a leaf to be found that would have met my idea of perfection. I was able to find a flaw in every single one that I picked up.
That is kind of how I treat myself. I sit here, mentally beating myself up because I weigh eight - okay ten - the truth - twelve pounds more than I did last year at this time. I don't know exactly because last week I had the courage to hide the bathroom scale somewhere I couldn't find it.
Or because my house is a mess. Really? A bit of Roxy the dog hair on every surface high and low, a few electronic devices here and there and clean dishes in the sink constitutes a mess?
Or because I am not doing what I 'should' be doing and because of that I am punishing myself by not doing what I want to do.
Who made these rules anyway?
Or because I am not doing what I 'should' be doing and because of that I am punishing myself by not doing what I want to do.
Who made these rules anyway?
I am giving up on perfect. At least for this very minute. If it works out well, I will try it for another minute. I do, however, recognize that I have work yet to do on the 'quiet' portion of the above verse. I also have decided that monster cookies, sugar cookies and snickerdoodles look pretty darn good on me.
I love to take pictures. Love, love, love to take pictures. I purposefully went out today to take pictures of leaves and such that were less than perfect. There are millions of things to take pictures of when I am not looking for that perfect shot or subject. I have spent way too much time looking for the perfection and missing the reality.
Give it a try. It doesn't have to be forever. Try for a bit to give yourself permission not to be perfect. I don't mean to lower your standards. Just give yourself a break if every hair isn't in place, if something didn't turn out the way you imagined it would or if you don't look the way 'they' say you should.
If you don't like it, you can always go back to beating yourself up.
I love to take pictures. Love, love, love to take pictures. I purposefully went out today to take pictures of leaves and such that were less than perfect. There are millions of things to take pictures of when I am not looking for that perfect shot or subject. I have spent way too much time looking for the perfection and missing the reality.
Give it a try. It doesn't have to be forever. Try for a bit to give yourself permission not to be perfect. I don't mean to lower your standards. Just give yourself a break if every hair isn't in place, if something didn't turn out the way you imagined it would or if you don't look the way 'they' say you should.
If you don't like it, you can always go back to beating yourself up.
What I am not giving up on is sending Randy mind waves to wake him up. I need him to refresh my coffee so I don't disturb the sleeping princess dog.
Have the BEST day ever!
~ Dorothy
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