#very

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

But I'm very thankful that no one is slamming my head against the wall anymore. ↗

— Harry Anderson

#anymore #head #i #slamming #thankful

We just finished making a record. Everybody wants to play shows, so we're going to after that. ↗

— Jeff Ament

#everybody #finished #going #just #making

I don't so much mind looking back on having lost the election, or having been denied a role in the play, or having had my novel repeatedly rejected, or having been turned down for a date, or recalling laughter at my expense when I attempted some silly challenge. Those things simply prove that I lived life. What I do mind, however, is looking back on the lost opportunities where imagined concerns kept me from even trying—lose or win. I've learned that there is no regret in a brave attempt. Only in cowering to fear. ↗

— Richelle E. Goodrich

#bravery #doing #fear #fulfillment #goals

For all his sourness, he was ruled by his heart. ↗

— Kim Harrison

#barnabas #heart #madison #rule #sour

You need to work very hard, you have to spend a lot of time practicing your sport - six to seven hours daily. ↗

— Sergei Bubka

#hard #hours #lot #need #practicing

I was a lousy nun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't find God. It wasn't suitable for me. It is suitable for very few people. ↗

— Karen Armstrong

#few people #find #god #i #lousy

An actor who is good at comedy can also be very good at drama, but not necessarily vice versa. ↗