Happiness and Perfectionism

Today a colleague wrote something that gave me pause to remember a few things.

I am an ex-perfectionist by choice. I spent what seemed like an eternity of a traumatic life to get there, feeling as if I were always letting someone down. My favorite aunt finally said to me, “You can define your own success.” After processing and internalizing that for years, I finally took steps to make it happen.

My colleague’s words reminded me of a favorite quote by John Lennon.  He was told to write a report on what he wanted to be when he grew up.  He wrote “Happy.” They said that he did not understand the assignment and he said that they did not understand life.

One day, lamenting my position as a disabled 460 pound person, I prayed and told God I was angry and was done trying to lose weight. I had been trying to be perfect on a diet forever, and He never helped me lose weight and keep it off.  I said to Him that if He wanted to do something, He could, but I gave up.

You know what?  In giving up the reigns, I lost over 245 pounds without surgery.  I began accepting progress and not perfection and enjoying life more easily. Sometimes giving up on the something- trying to hate my body into submission, gives way to the right thing- trying to love it into wellness.

We do not do things easily or naturally for people we hate. We do plenty for those we love.  

Beth Donovan, B.A., CMC, CWCS

www.BethDonovan.com

240 pounds lost without surgery, crazy diets, or extreme exercise