Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘the gifts of imperfection’

It’s Monday. Are you in your equation?

ITE_100_quote_squareFor a little Monday morning motivation, I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes and a few things we’re excited about at In the Equation.Com.

  • ALL IN! After 6 weeks, I’m finally feeling physically better from my pain in the butt sciatica (a little bit), and this morning I woke up with a desire to renew my commitment to going all in. 100+%! Who’s all in with me?!

Read more

Beautiful or Average? …Beautiful!

Dove-choosebeautifulcampaignphotoIt’s no secret, women struggle with body image. We are our own harshest critics. I don’t think many people — even the men in our lives — would argue with that.

Yesterday, I watched the new Dove “Choose Beautiful” campaign for the first time and was mesmerized. If you haven’t seen it, watch here.

The campaign centers on a 3.5 min video that shows women from five cities around the globe having to choose to enter a building through one of two doors — a BEAUTIFUL door and an AVERAGE door. Read more

Imperfectly, unique. As it should be.

ITE_Perfect_quote-instagram

The 90% Rule

Progress not perfection. 90% = success!

perfectionI woke up this last Friday morning after two days of real struggle working toward my “In the Equation Challenge goal” and remembered: I am not perfect! I am fantastic, strong, smart, courageous, beautiful, passionate, diligent, determined…and perfectly imperfect at the same time. And I LOVE that about me! I am not perfect. Thank God.

One of my favorite quotes related to perfectionism comes from Brene Brown in her book, The Gifts of Imperfection. ““Perfectionism is self destructive simply because there’s no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal.” Here, here. I finally get it and embrace it!

Brene goes on to describe the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism. “Healthy striving is self-focused, how can I improve and grow? Perfectionism worries about what other people will think.” According to Brene’s research, perfectionism is not about excellence or healthy striving. It’s a way of thinking and being that says, “If I look perfect, do it perfect, love perfect, work perfect, I can avoid or minimize shame in my life.”

In other words, perfectionism is the ultimate fear that we might fail, and/or the word is going to see us for who we really area and we won’t measure up. Yes, perfectionism is fear. I get that because I’m a recovering perfectionist. I spent most of my adult life trying to be perfect and beating myself up when I was not. It kept me small, and stuck. On the sidelines and NOT in the arena for far too much of my life.

These past four years as I’ve personally transformed both inside and out, I’ve worked to embrace “progress not perfection.” I’ve learned the difference between healthy striving, learning and growing as a person vs. the impossible standard of perfection. And, most importantly I’ve learned self-love and how to offer self-compassion when I slip or fall or fail. I truly believe, I am enough. And that has made all the difference.

Which brings to me to why this blog — the”In Your Equation Challenge” and my revelation of this past week. Read more

The daily practice of gratitude

Grateful for courage, compassion, connection; health and happiness
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” — William A. Ward

I’ve started this gratitude blog at least three times this past week/weekend and have suffered a serious case of  writer’s block each time. Today, it gets published no matter how eloquent. The truth is, I get emotional when I think about the magnitude of all that I am grateful for these days.

The season of gratitude is upon us and I have always believed it is important to step back, take stock, and express my gratitude for the gifts and the people in my life. This year, however, one of the greatest gifts is the daily practice of expressing gratitude.

Read more

My word is “enough”

eatpraylovequoteThis past week, I watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love with a friend. I’ve read the book and seen the movie four times now and honestly I love everything about it (not the least of which is Javier Bardem!).

For those of you unfamiliar, the main character Liz Gilbert (Julie Roberts) embarks on a person quest around the world to find herself. She travels to Italy, India and Bali.

Eat, Pray, Love is a story of personal transformation and a spiritual quest. It’s about discovering and loving your true self before you can truly be in relationship with others. It’s a quest for forgiveness — whether of bitter old resentments that keep you stuck, or forgiveness of yourself. It’s a transformation journey — a very beautifully lived and written journey by famous author Elizabeth Gilbert. Read more

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: