It Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful! Pt 1

I am a perfectionist!
Wikipedia would tell me that it is characterized by a person’s striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high-performance standards, accompanied by overly critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others’ evaluations.

Wow! And I just thought all the stripes on the duvet had to be lined up! Actually, to be honest, I got rid of our striped duvet cover as I could never get them all lined up and it used to drive me nuts!

I admit it, I like to have things in order. Everything in its place, neat and tidy (and labeled if I can help it!)

My family, on the other hand, are not perfectionists (Thank you Lord!) They don’t seem to mind if things are not put away in the right place if there are dishes left on the bench, or shoes are left lying in the doorway! They are quite relaxed when things are “out of place” and can carry on life as normal.

As with most lessons in life, I am learning slowly, that things don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful! Having everything in its place, labeled and lined up straight doesn’t make my house a home. It’s the people in it, the laughter, the fun, and the silliness that makes it a home.

As lovely as all that sounds, it is easier said than done! As a perfectionist at heart, this is super hard for me to do! I find it near impossible to relax when the bench, even has one cup on it, when there is washing to be put away or when the kids leave DVDs all over the floor! Heaven forbid if there is a cushion on the wrong sofa or the bed isn’t made straight with no wrinkles!

So how do you get a balance between perfect, perfectionism, and letting it all go?

Well, for me, I have to look at the bigger picture! I don’t want my kids only memories of growing up, being that Mum was always tidying the house instead of playing with them. I don’t want them to remember me as a control freak who was always wiping down the bench, straightening the cushions, or labeling anything that could be labeled! I want their memories of growing up to be fun! I mean really, who wants to be living in a perfectly clean and tidy house all the time (No, Kathy, not you!)

So this week I am sitting on my hands and not being “manic” when things aren’t as I think they should be. It’s jolly hard seeing the shoes on the floor and not putting them away, walking past Gracie’s room and not reminding her to tidy it, or even watching tv with a pile of washing sitting there waiting to be put away! No, perfectionism can wait this week, this week it’s about letting go and having fun, and not stressing over the little things.

It’s not about being perfect…… it’s about being beautiful!