{"id":386,"date":"2014-04-30T20:03:59","date_gmt":"2014-04-30T20:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/heartofthesoul\/?p=386"},"modified":"2014-04-30T20:03:59","modified_gmt":"2014-04-30T20:03:59","slug":"youre-already-perfect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/heartofthesoul\/2014\/04\/youre-already-perfect.html","title":{"rendered":"You’re Already Perfect"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jodi<\/a><\/p>\n

In the past I seemed to believe that I’d achieve perfection if I only tried hard enough, pushed hard enough, and worked hard enough.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

So that\u2019s exactly what I did. I tried until I couldn\u2019t try any more. I pushed until I was absolutely exhausted and had nothing left to give. And I worked until I was so burned out that I couldn\u2019t imagine ever working again.<\/p>\n

And still I wasn\u2019t perfect. Still there was something to better or something to strive for or something to, well, perfect.<\/p>\n

This battle within me to be perfect goes back all the way to childhood. It goes back to being praised for being the smart one and the pretty one and the best one. It goes back to being told that I was the only one in my family who would succeed. It goes back to wanting approval and love.<\/p>\n

I know all of this. I\u2019ve known all of this for a long, long time.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019ve moved through so much of this quest for perfection. Throughout my journey, I realized that I am already perfect \u2013 that we all are. I realized that everything is happening exactly how it\u2019s supposed to. I trust that on a deep level. I really do.<\/p>\n

But I still find that I am triggered into old habits from time to time. I still find that someone can say something about how I\u2019m not doing something perfectly that can bring me right back into this spiral of shame \u2013 worrying that I\u2019m not doing enough or that I\u2019m not doing it right or that I\u2019m not good enough at whatever it is that I\u2019m meant to be doing better in their eyes.<\/p>\n

So in these moments I realize something: I am human.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am human, but I am also divine.<\/strong> And the things that I think I should be doing, the things that I think I should be striving for, the things that I think I should be pushing to better in myself aren\u2019t nearly as important and don’t matter nearly as much as my own well being and inner peace.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all a fa\u00e7ade, this whole perfection thing. We have created it in our minds, and we can\u2019t strive for something that doesn\u2019t exist. We\u2019ll never reach it. It will never be attained. At least not in the way we think.<\/p>\n

So when I find myself being triggered back into this old pattern, I remember this. And I remember that those days of striving to be perfect are in the past and need not make their way into the present. And I remember to wrap myself in a loving embrace and choose to move through life with love and grace.<\/p>\n

If you also struggle with perfection, I would invite you to do the same.<\/p>\n

We are already perfect. If it feels otherwise, please give yourself permission to span out and see yourself through the eyes of love \u2013 through the eyes of the universe \u2013 through the eyes of God. You\u2019re already perfect. You\u2019re already enough.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

And all of the rest that you do and achieve and bring into your life is simply icing on the cake. It\u2019s an added bonus to an already perfect you.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s the truth.<\/p>\n

Hugs,<\/p>\n

Jodi<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"about
\n<\/a>Jodi Chapman is a bestselling author, an award-winning blogger, and a soulful community builder.\u00a0She lives her life with love and faith in the driver\u2019s seat, and she hopes to leave a trail of inspiration wherever she goes. She believes that we each have the ability to hear our soul\u2019s whisper and create our best lives. She would love to connect with you!<\/p>\n

Website<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Free Ebook\u00a0& Meditation<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Soulful Life Sanctuary<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the past I seemed to believe that I’d achieve perfection if I only tried hard enough, pushed hard enough, and worked hard enough.\u00a0 So that\u2019s exactly what I did. I tried until I couldn\u2019t try any more. I pushed until I was absolutely exhausted and had nothing left to give. 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They share their lives with three wonderful cats: Biddle, Buncom, and Elsie. She would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter! And you can also join her Soul Speak community: www.jodichapman.com. 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