Are You a Perfectionist?

If so, researchers say we’re not only more prone to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health problems, but to harming ourselves (yikes!)

In our slick, air-brushed-to-perfection society, the tendency to demand our own flawlessness is very strong.

Better than working for perfection, though, is to work for progress. 

Here’s one way to unpack it:

Perfectionists say: I have only one shot at this, if it doesn’t work I’m a failure.

Progress Seekers say: I’ll take as many shots as I can and learn, my failures actually help me.

Perfectionists say: If I fail I’m done - life can’t continue.

Progress Seekers say: Failure is an event not a characteristic.

Perfectionists say: Failure is unacceptable.

Progress Seekers say: Failure is inevitable.

Perfectionists say: If I feel discouraged or down I’m losing.

Progress Seekers say: If I feel discouraged or down it means I’m making progress.

Perfectionists say: I’m not worthy, I’m too weak.

Progress Seekers say: I’m worth of more than I think, and doing hard things makes me stronger.

And lest we think we’re the only ones who suffer from these tendencies, we see in Sunday’s Gospel John the Baptist questioning his worthiness as he replies to Jesus’ request to baptize him saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”

Being confident in ourselves is something with which most of us struggle. How often we can look at failure not as an event but as a personal descriptor!

But the Gospel is clear in declaring our worthiness, Jesus talked John into his ministry, and Jesus trying to talk you and me into ours.

Epiphany is about revealing - and revealing the call and purpose God has on our lives. 

With this in mind, to what is Jesus asking us to commit or re-commit?

How are we being asked to be more confident and courageous?
If we looked for progress over perfection, how far might we go?