#stress

In the past, my brain could only compute perfection or failure—nothing in between. So words like competent, acceptable, satisfactory, and good enough fell into the failure category. Even above average meant failure if I received an 88 out of 100 percent on an exam, I felt that I failed. The fact is most things in life are not absolutes and have components of both good and bad. I used to think in absolute terms a lot: all, every, or never. I would all of the food (that is, binge), and then I would restrict every meal and to never eat again. This type of thinking extended outside of the food arena as well: I had to get all of the answers right on a test; I had to be in every extracurricular activity […] The ‘if it’s not perfect, I quit’ approach to life is a treacherous way to live. […] I hadn’t established a baseline of competence: What gets the job done? What is good enough? Finding good enough takes trial and error. For those of us who are perfectionists, the error part of trial and error can stop us dead in our tracks. We would rather keep chasing perfection than risk possibly making a mistake. I was able to change my behavior only when the pain of perfectionism became greater than the pain of making an error. […] Today good enough means that I’m okay just the way I am. I play my position in the world. I catch the ball when it is thrown my way. I don’t always have to make the crowd go wild or get a standing ovation. It’s good enough to just catch the ball or even to do my best to catch it. Good enough means that I finally enjoy playing the game. ↗

— Jenni Schaefer

#food #good-enough #perfectionism #recovery #stress

It is very distressing that anyone would look at these matters from a political viewpoint. Core beliefs about when life begins and ends are far too important for any such calculations. ↗

— Mac Thornberry

#any #anyone #begins #beliefs #calculations

I got a pair of red, synthetic satin women's pants through the post the other day with a phone number on. That was quite strange. I haven't tried the phone number. In times of stress I may. ↗

— Jarvis Cocker

#got #haven #i #may #number

Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route. ↗

— Charles Caleb Colton

#dance #grand #happiness #impels #leads

I try to do a lot of research beforehand so I know where I want to go with a scene. I try not to get too stressed about it, because I find that's the worst thing. ↗

— Jennifer Connelly

#because #beforehand #find #get #go

It is distressing to me that we live in an age in which we still must fight to protect our civil rights as Americans, in which a hate crime perpetrated against someone based their sexual orientation can go unpunished, and in which discrimination is being written into our laws. ↗

— John Conyers

#age #based #being #civil #civil rights

Faced with stress, too many people feel they have nowhere to turn to, that they don't have access to the kind of friendships or communities where they can easily and openly share their problems and worries. ↗

— Daisaku Ikeda

#communities #easily #faced #feel #friendships

DURING the first years of my service in Dr. Flint's family, I was accustomed to share some indulgences with the children of my mistress. ↗

— Harriet Ann Jacobs

#children #dr #during #family #first

For years, my master had done his utmost to pollute my mind with foul images, and to destroy the pure principles inculcated by my grandmother, and the good mistress of my childhood. ↗

— Harriet Ann Jacobs

#destroy #done #foul #good #grandmother

In my early days in Hollywood I tried to be economical. I designed my own clothes, much to my mother's distress. ↗

— Gene Tierney

#days #designed #distress #early #economical