“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” ~Mary Anne Radmacher
How often do you expect that you should get it right the first time? How do you treat yourself when you make a mistake or don’t do something perfectly? If you are anything like the clients I work with than you may find letting go of the belief that you “should” be perfect a challenge. Unfortunately, our unrealistic belief that we should be perfect sets up expectations that are unattainable and leads to judgment, criticism, and disappointment in ourselves over and over again.
One client told me recently that she finds herself thinking if I can’t meditate every day then why even try. Another client told me her greatest challenge was not being able to maintain her self-nurturing practice and then feeling like a failure. So many of us compare ourselves to others and feel we don’t stack up.
When beginning the process of cultivating a practice of self-nurturing, I encourage my clients to treat themselves with gentle kindness. When we set an intention to be kind to ourselves up front, we create the space to not have to be perfect.
When we are kind and gentle with ourselves we typically focus on what we did well, rather than where we fell short. We also tend to be more compassionate and forgiving of ourselves and open to the idea of trying again, rather than beating ourselves up for not being perfect.
What I love about cultivating any kind of practice is that there is no expectation of perfection in the process. Instead of getting it right, the focus is on the commitment and dedication to nurturing ourselves.
When you add an attitude of loving kindness to this perspective of practice, you will respond to not being perfect with understanding and compassion rather than judgment and shame.
This is a truly revolutionary concept for many of us and lays the foundation needed to develop the courage to not to be perfect! Imagine the burden that will be lifted off your shoulders when you let go of the idea that you have to be perfect when caring for yourself and that in doing so you are actually nurturing yourself.
It is my deep belief that the practice of self-nurturing is a joyful one, energizing and essential to living a rich and full life. If in the process you are also able to transform your expectations of needing to be perfect, then you will truly be able to connect authentically with your truth and beauty!
May you nurture the courage to let go of being perfect by being kind and compassionate to yourself and may you continue to nurture peace in the world from the inside out!
