Are you perfect? I’m not. Not even close. But I spent years chasing perfection to the point of exhaustion.
Why would I do that? Because I believed perfectionism was required for happiness. I was wrong.
I had mistakenly confused perfectionism with excellence. So, what’s the difference?
Perfectionism is performance driven and is based on unrealistic ideals, unattainable standards and impossible expectations that always leave us disappointed and resentful.
Excellence is bringing our best to our marriages and relationships, money, jobs, homes, kids, health, goals and dreams.
So how do you know if you’re a perfectionist or a woman of excellence?
Perfectionism leads to exhaustion. Excellence leaves you excited.
Perfectionism drains you while excellence empowers you.
Perfectionism lacks grace when you make mistakes. Excellence is rooted in grace and sees every failure as lessons, experiences and opportunities to grow.
Excellence views discipline as the pathway to freedom, the critical tool to a peaceful life instead of a cruel tool used to keep you in line.
Excellence is an act of obedience and stewardship. Our homes, cars, kids, money, jobs, marriages, relationships, waistlines, furniture, clothes are not ours. They are all on loan to us from God to care for.
We are not owners. We are managers and we will be held accountable for how we managed what was entrusted to us.
Perfectionism alienates and criticizes those who don’t live up to their expectations. Excellence brings out the best in others while understanding every game won’t be their A game and every moment won’t be their finest.
Excellence is an ongoing progress, allowing for bad days but not bad behavior. It never makes excuses, blames others or suffers from entitlement.
Perfectionism is in the business of perfecting others. Excellence stays in her own business working on bettering herself.
This week we embrace excellence. We do our best, behave our best, steward our best and love our best and always from a place of grace.
Sandra Hubbard
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