Letting Go: Challenges of a Perfectionist

Yellow Flower from the Garden District in New Orleans

Yellow Flower from the Garden District in New Orleans

I think I probably could have called this Blog “Letting Go” because on the spiritual journey that I am on it seems that I am coming up on the need to do this over and over again, each time in slightly different ways. My need to let go is very strong evidently.

I have always felt driven to always tell people exactly what I think about them and about the best course that I think they should take. The problem is that, not everyone wants to hear my opinion all the time and sometimes I just need to shut up and let it go. I have to trust the universe to get the message out without thinking that I am the sole messenger of truth or wisdom.

I may be driven to perfection, but I don’t have to use it as an instrument of torture over myself, my family, my friends or my associates. I have to learn to let things work themselves out sometimes or simply fall where they may and find their own way.

I am grateful that I am learning to temper my perfectionism. I am grateful that I am learning how to express it. I am grateful that I am learning to let go of my perfectionism. I am grateful that there is a wonder and a beauty to the world around me that is an imperfect world.

Learning about perfectionism is learning about forgiveness.

What Can One Person Do? Inderjit Khurana

Blue Water Abstract

Blue Water Abstract

Last night as we were just about to go to bed, we stumbled across the story of Inderjit Khurana on PBS. This is a heart wrenching story but it also the story of how one man or one woman can make a difference for Good. Watch the The Train Platform Schools of India video online here.

This encourages me to reach out more and to visualize change in my own community and make it happen. It also reminds of how fortunate I am to live in America with good schools and opportunities everywhere. I am grateful to live in America. I am grateful that I had a good mother and father who worked hard to give me everything that I needed to thrive. I am grateful to hear the story of Inderjit. I am grateful for her spirit and her work. I am grateful for PBS. I am grateful that we can all hear about this story on the net.

In terms of this video, it is a PBS production for the series The New Heroes about Social Entrepreneurs.

Letting Go Of Hurts

Stone Heart

Stone Heart

I don’t always hold onto the good things and good times. I seem to be attached to some very bad things and horrible times in my life. It is amazing how hard it is for me to let go of these old hurts; those times when I have been rejected or ignored for reaching out to someone. It is important to remember that the hurt is something inside of me and not something that they did to me. I am responsible for my own emotions, my own reactions and my own well being. They may do something that causes me to feel hurt, but they did not place that feeling there. I did. I can choose to let that hurt reside in me and grow and set up residence, or I can choose to let it go. I guess sometimes I have to release some situations, some people, some hurts, over and over again until they disappear or dissolve into nothingness.

I am grateful this day that I am free of all old emotional wounds and that I set myself and others free. I release myself. I release those that “hurt me”. We are all free of my hurt. We are all free to love again. I can let go of my own hurt feelings and my negative emotions so that I can more fully embrace wonderful and great and beautiful things.

Now I am ready for my walk.

My Own Path

Verdant Pathways

Verdant Pathways

I am grateful that I can take my own path. I am grateful for new ways of thinking. I am grateful for the ability to look at my old patterns and the new ways I am finding of relating to my world and the people around me. I am grateful for new friends and new acquaintances.

 I am grateful for gratefulness. I am grateful for the simple gift that someone gives me when they say ”Thank You”.

 In the photo above you can see that summer isn’t quite over yet [at least in this particular spot], down the path the leaves were falling continuously; so much so it was raining leaves.

I Am Grateful

D and R State Park

D and R State Park

I Am Grateful For:

Not drinking to excess

Not smoking anymore

Being able to walk 5 miles a day

Thinking in new ways

New friends

Learning to release old hurts, slights, resentments and jealousies

New positive habits

New authors I have found: Louise Hay, Deepak Chopra, Salman Rushdie

New ways of publishing online: WordPress [new to me at least]

Coming of fall

Coming of Christmas

Public Parks: D & R Canal State Park [see photo above]