Give Up Perfect...

"Give up perfect and go for real." ~Anodea Judith

Those words, upon hearing them at the Chakra Yoga Workshop with Anodea, resonated with me instantly. How often do we wait for perfect before participating in the creation of our desires? How often do we allow our dreams to slowly ebb away waiting for that perfect moment, that perfect situation, that perfect person, that perfect whatever to show up? How often do we feel our dreams being pulled away by the good intentions of others who think they know what our perfect life should be? How often do we strive for perfect when perfect is RIGHT now... and as expressed by Anodea Judith, "Give up perfect and go for real."

But what does that mean to "go for real?" I believe it is when we make the choice to TRUST and LET GO. It's when we find ourselves not trying to be anything... we simply are. It is that deep connection to the truth of who we are and we live each day, each moment with an awareness of ,"This is it. Right now. This moment." Life flows effortlessly and we find ourselves in a place of BEING and no longer DOING.

The Not-So Perfect Life... or maybe it was perfect because it gave me the lessons I needed to be who I am today (a thought to consider). 10 years ago you would know me as a completely different person than I am today. 10 years ago I sought after "perfect" every single day. Guess what? No surprise... I never found it. I may have found moments of perfect but they were definitely fleeting. So, I kept searching and searching and moving further and further away from knowing who I was. In retrospect, I can look back and without any feelings of regret, I can honestly say that I made the decisions I made because I was trying to be someone I wasn't. I was trying to be the perfect person I thought everyone expected me to be.

Perfect Today. Ahh, today... it feels like a dream and then I realize it IS a dream... my dream... and I'm living it, breathing it, being it. Of course, I still have my moments when I find myself seeking perfect but I notice my awareness kicks in faster. No, actually, I realize the lesson faster than I used to. Because, as we know, our lessons in life will continue to show up until we've mastered them. I bet you've noticed that in your life, right? Same lesson... perhaps different people... different situations... showing up to teach you the lesson. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

A friend made the comment to me one day, "You amaze me. You're so fearless. You'll do anything and you're always trying new things. How do you do it?" HOW do I do it? You'll hate this answer, but... I just do. Okay, the real answer is that I have a willingness to let go and screw up. Yes, I give myself permission to screw up, and guess what... it's okay! Probably the majority of us have been brought up, and are conditioned, to be perfect in everything we do. Geez, talk about pressure!! Because of my upbringing I have always been so hard on myself when I didn't get things right the first time. It's taken a lot of work chipping away at that layer of myself, and it's one I continue to work on to this day. But I am finding the freedom in letting go of instant perfection... well, at least in my ego-centered eyes... because as I am learning... it's all perfect... all the time... everytime... in everything I do... in everyone I meet... ALL OF IT.

As for being afraid... of course, I am always met with a certain amount of fear in doing something new...something out of my comfort zone. I know it's a CHOICE to either allow my fears to take over and keep me from the experience, or to know my power to step through the door of my fears and know that, no matter what happens, I gave it my best attempt and I said, "Yes." I choose the latter because I have faith and a knowing that moving through my fears is going to step me onto the path of continuing to know myself and keep me connected to my purpose in being here. It is in the challenges that we face that we often discover our biggest moments of growth and learning about ourselves, is it not? Fear is the absence of love, and each time I have surmounted a fear, I can honestly say that it brings me to a deeper sense of love for myself. You look back and you think, "What was I ever afraid of?" You feel your connection to the seat of your inner strength and you, again, believe in yourself to be or do anything it is that you desire... and what a gift that is!!

Having given up perfect and going for real I've discovered the life that I was meant to live. I keep all paths open and discover that new journeys are presented to me. For instance, ask me 10 years ago if I thought I would be playing a guitar and singing/songwriting... I would've laughed and thought, "What a joke! Me? Playing a guitar and singing in front of others?! NEVER!" As I have learned many, many, many times in life thus far... never say never. As I began to slowly step through my fears and into this path, ALL of the right people have shown up in my life to support me... it's been such a gift to watch all of it unfold. The beautiful thing is that this journey, though it began a few years ago, is really just starting and I simply bubble over with excitement not knowing where it's going to take me!! I don't have to know because I TRUST that wherever this journey goes, it's going to be exactly what it is meant to be.

And that, in my eyes, is giving up perfect and going for real. Dare to be YOU! Amazing, unique, wonderful, brilliant... YOU! Because guess what? You are perfect right now!!

With peace, with love
~Jennifer