The Facade of Perfectionism

Today, me and my friends performed a dance for E-Ministry's Farewell party. Now, am I a member of E-Ministry? No. Did I have any role in their work all through this year? Also, no. But one of my friends is a member of it and she asked us to perform for this event as a group. At first, I was hesitant. As we started practising, that hesitancy only grew. I kept messing up all through our practice sessions and it took me a lot of time to even get simple steps correct because I've never really danced for events all that much, especially not to the kind of songs we chose for this particular event. But somehow, with the motivation from my friends, I stuck through until the end and I'm quite satisfied with the result. No, it wasn't perfect. It was far from it, actually. We messed up a lot during it. But when I left that stage and sat back down on the chair, I felt.. happy. I felt happy that I did not let my fear make me miss out on this opportunity. I felt content that I was able to give it my best upon that stage today. As I said before, it wasn't remotely perfect but the fact that I did it for the fun of it makes it a memory worth cherishing forever more.

We all have instances where we hold back on things we want to do because we're afraid of not perfecting them. We fear embarrassment so we compromise on our happiness. But that's totally the wrong way to go about it. It's not about perfecting things. It's about doing it just for the sake of doing it. It's about doing it just because you want to- just because it will bring you a sense of satisfaction within yourself. It doesn't have to meet any standards. It doesn't have to appease anyone. As long as you know in your heart that you've given the best you possibly could, then that's all that matters.

Perfection shouldn't be our primary focus. For in the very words of Maria Shriver, "Perfectionism doesn't make you feel perfect. It makes you feel inadequate." Perfectionism is a facade. Perfectionism is fear disguised that inhibits you from true success. So don't try to be perfect. Live in the moment. Let go. Remember,

"Perfectionism is internalized oppression."

- Gloria Steinem

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