Savor Every Sip

The problem with being a perfectionist is the “all or nothing” mentality that comes with it.  The phrase “go big or go home” comes to mind.  (If you are a fan of that motto, this blog post is not for you!)  Although this black and white way of thinking is characteristic of perfectionism, it can be overcome and I am living proof of that.

I was faced with a big decision this week and my auto-pilot mode kicked into perfectionism overdrive.  I should do this now and I should do it perfectly!  Oh, that initial panic mode drives me mad!  The fact that it starts by talking in “shoulds” is especially aggravating.

I was presented with an amazing opportunity.  My interest was piqued and my curiosity ran wild dreaming of the possibilities.  I could feel my foot pressing heavily on the accelerator, rushing into a decision I hadn’t even processed yet, the view melting into a blur.

Then something amazing happened.  I shut down auto-pilot, grabbed the wheel, and took my foot off the gas.  I took my time to make the right decision for myself.  These are the steps I followed:

1. Be Still.  It is important to not make any decisions from a place of hurried chaos.  Through yoga, meditation and radical self-care, I have learned to still my mind.  I took the time I needed to get my head into this space before proceeding.
2. Listen.  Once you are still, all you need to do is listen to your heart.  Ask yourself what it is that you truly desire in this moment and the answers will come.  And they are always right.
3. Don’t worry about what others will think.  When making major life decisions, it is important to focus on what will make you truly happy and not what everyone else will think about your decision.
4. Don’t rush.  WIth or without deadlines, you should never rush a major decision.  If the answer does not come before the deadline, then it wasn’t meant to be.  Let it go and move on.
   

At the end of the day, what I really want most is to live my life without the eating disorder in it.  Recovery is a process and I am getting there one step at a time.  Today I took some time to simply enjoy how far I have come.  I am blessed to have a family who loves and supports me and friends who do the same.  I have a lot I would love to pursue and many lessons left to be learned, but, for right now, I just want to live my life and enjoy every minute of it.  I plan to drink it all in and savor every sip!

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