Okay,
You can close your eyes if you'd like.
Feel the weight of your body resting here right now.
Notice the rise and the fall of your breath.
Like the tide,
Each inhale arrives with purpose and each exhale releases what no longer serves.
Imagine you are holding a crystal.
Its edges are sharp,
Its surfaces smooth.
You turn it in your hand and in one angle it glimmers,
Clear,
Radiant.
But from another,
It cuts your skin if you grip too tightly.
Perfectionism is like this crystal.
It can illuminate what matters most,
Remind us of care,
Of devotion,
Of excellence.
But when clenched too tightly,
It wounds us,
Binding us to control,
Demanding flawlessness where life only offers humility.
Picture yourself walking through a garden.
On one side,
Rows of flowers standing in rigid symmetry.
Every leaf trimmed,
Every blossom forced to bloom on demand.
There is order here,
Yet the air feels tense,
Lifeless.
On the other side,
The flowers are wild.
Some blooms lean toward the sun,
Others curl imperfectly.
A petal torn and a stem bent,
And yet there is beauty.
The fragrance is rich,
The colors alive.
Perfectionism too has two faces.
One is control,
Grasping,
Tightening,
Demanding that nothing ever falter.
The other is appreciation,
A deep seeing of what is,
A cherishing of effort,
Of detail,
Of care,
Without needing to chain it to an impossible standard.
Now,
Breathe in and notice.
Where in your life do you grip the crystal too tightly?
Where do you confuse control with care?
And as you exhale,
Soften.
Let your breath remind you that perfection need not be flawless.
Only faithful.
Faithful to your values,
Faithful to your growth,
And faithful to the beauty of being human.
Rest here a moment,
Feeling the crystal in your hand,
But lighter now,
Not clenched,
Just simply held.
A reminder that perfection is not an enemy,
It's a teacher,
Guiding you to discern between the prison of control and the freedom of appreciation.
Take one last slow breath,
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes,
And step into your day with gentleness,
Noticing the beauty that was already here.
