I am getting a lot out of Gerald May's 1991 book "The Awakened Heart," which I am using for spiritual reading each day. He addresses perfectionism, the compulsion that many of us have to be perfect and to do things perfectly.
Perfectionism messed up a lot of my early self image. It can still be a problem for me. I am trying to learn French for an upcoming trip. In trying to use a foreign language in the past I have found myself with something like stage fright, even though I know the words I want to use. As I reflect on this, I think it may have to do with my fear of sounding stupid, of not pronouncing it perfectly.
May says that perfectionism can distort our spiritual life, our relationship with God. At one point in the book he suggests that what God wants if not perfection but faithfulness. This is a very valuable and helpful distinction.
No comments:
Post a Comment