Living in Seasons
It can be very easy for me to fall into negative thought patterns of self-criticism and being "hard on myself." Those of us that were raised by controlling and/or narcissistic parents probably relate to having internalized their voice in this way, having it manifest as perfectionism. Despite painful self-awareness, my perfectionism manifests in most, if not all, areas of my life, and quelling it is challenging, to say the least. I find myself wanting to do everything perfectly all the time.
If my day isn't filled with all my initiatives—writing, dancing, working, exercising, and eating "acceptable" foods—I feel as though I have failed. The truth is, perfectionism is a vessel of spiritual oppression. That hyper-critical voice is a lie. It does not want you to achieve greatness, and it is not encouraging you to do so. Because if you maintain impossibly high standards and beat yourself up when you do not meet them, you will never actually achieve anything. It is a tool to keep us small, preventing us from fulfilling our purpose and the life we dream about.
Humans, like the Earth, live in seasons, and each season has a distinct energy and focus. We are not built to do everything all the time, just as the earth was not built to bear fruit and rest in the same season. We need to honor our cyclical nature, and surrender to the season we are living in, acting in the flow of where the energy is guiding us, and not wearing ourselves down trying to do it all, to be perfect.
This piece was originally featured in a October 16, 2019 post on Instagram.
