I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.

 

 

I am a perfectionist. I want everything I do to be done perfectly. This is not a realistic attitude, it leads to disappointment, and sometimes even prevents me from starting on something because I can't do it perfectly.

I have learned a new way of living. The slogan “Progress, not perfection” reminds me that I will never be perfect, but that I can make progress and improve myself and my life. There are times when it seems that my life is still a wreck. If I take a moment and look back, I can see that, while it is still not everything I'd like it to be, my life is much better than it was in the past. I am not out of debt, but my debt is smaller, and I have a plan to make it smaller still. My belly is still rounder than I want it to be, but it's smaller than it was. I still sometimes react angrily to someone's actions, but not nearly as often as I did a few years ago.

I may not be “there” yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday. For this, I can be grateful.

A meditation for January 11, 2013.