If you bash yourself for not living up to unreasonably high expectations with “I should have…” or “I shouldn’t have…” or mercilessly call yourself “stupid,” “pathetic,” “a loser” when you make a mistake, listen up. You’ve bought into your caretaker’s, parents’, or other people’s negative judgments, opinions, and demeaning labels.
The results are predictable: you pressure yourself to do and say everything perfectly, dread making errors, and avoid taking risks. Perfectionism – to a fault! To deal with the pressure, you punish yourself one way or another. You take one problem and turn it into two; you add brutal self-loathing to whatever you think you didn’t do perfectly — a social blunder, poor financial decision, or thoughtless comment.
But what’s the underlying issue beneath self-deprecating behavior and demanding perfection? You believe you need to be perfect, believing your worth is determined by what you do, have, or look like.
To turn the tide on this insidious attitude, you need to make a full-tilt assault on your destructive thoughts and learn how to express your emotions – your rage of anger, cloud of sadness, and unsettling fear – constructively and physically. It’s definitely doable. You can dismantle your negative judgments and the barrage of self-loathing.
Life is for learning. We all make mistakes.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have done it differently.
I am not what I do. I am whole and complete no matter what.
As you make an assault on your need to be perfect, you’ll come to accept and respect yourself, be gentle with yourself, and become your biggest fan. You will no longer feel overwhelmed, trying so hard to make everything just right.
Your confidence will soar and you’ll feel proud of your accomplishments and yourself. And in time, you’ll realize your true worth is non-negotiable. It’s been with you since the day you were born and remains untouched throughout your lifetime. Trying so hard to be perfect does not make your world better. Attitude Reconstruction will. Walk into your new world – with an improved emotional life.
Jude Bijou is a licensed marriage and family therapist, educator, author, and speaker. Meet Jude
2012 Benjamin Franklin Award
Winner in Self-Help
2012 ForeWord Reviews
Winner in Psychology
2012 ForeWord Reviews
Winner in Self-Help
2012 International Book Award
Winner in Health: Psychology/Mental Health
2012 Nautilus Silver Award
Winner in
Personal Growth/Self Help/Psychology
2012 LA Festival of Books
Winner in How To
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