Sometimes, you just have to DO IT. That thing that scares the crap out of you, that thing that pushes you and stretches you and keeps you awake at night….you’ve just got to DO IT.
This is me. Right now. In my life.
In so many instances, I have hidden behind the fear of rejection, judgment, and ridicule and called it “perfectionism”. I told myself that I had to have everything perfect before putting it out there as way of avoiding doing things that could see people pointing a finger and laughing.
But the reality is, people are mostly kind. The reality is, people respect people who do sh%t and put themselves out there. The reality is, being a perfectionist has held me back in my life and I no longer wish to live there.
The truth is, according to Brené brown, “when perfectionism is driving, shame is always riding shotgun”, which means “we struggle with perfectionism in areas we feel most vulnerable to shame”.
She explains: “If I look perfect, live perfect, work perfect, I can avoid or minimize criticism, blame or ridicule.”
Perfectionism keeps us from being seen and is all about, “what will people think?”
I am working hard on being vulnerable and opening myself up so that people can experience my gifts, whether or not that also means that some people will not like what I have done.
And that’s ok with me.
Because I am no longer living behind the guise of perfectionism…I know I am not perfect. I know my book is not perfect. And I know that nothing I will ever do will be perfect.
But I have to apologize. Last week, I said today would be the day I released my book to the world. Unfortunately, today is not the day.
As I listened to Brené describe the difference between a “healthy striver” and a perfectionist, I knew what I had to do.
You see, after printing my first batch of books to be offered to family, friends and some beta group members of the Kick The Sugar Challenge, I found some errors in recipes that I just couldn’t live with. Whenever I make a recipe that doesn’t work out, I am left frustrated because I have wasted ingredients, time and money and I lose confidence in the rest of the recipes turning out.
And although this book is so much more than a recipe book, one of the main elements is that people will be getting back into the kitchen for every meal for 28 days.
Recipes simply have to work.
So I will be spending the next few days in the kitchen making sure every single one of the 90+ recipes are written out and described correctly.
I want you to have confidence that when you get your copy, you can trust the recipes.
I will be launching the book next week. No questions asked. Until then, I am reminded of Dr, Maya Angelou’s words, “When you know better, do better.”
I know better in this moment and so I am seizing it to do better.
You can’t imagine how hard this has been for me as I grappled with what to do next. But I am at peace with my decision. I know this is healthy striving and not perfectionism.
Because I want the best result for you, not for me.
Because I want you to love yourself.
Because I want you to love your life.
Because I want you to love your body.
Because I want you to love your life one bite at a time.
P.S. Thank you so much for understanding this dilemma and being patient with me as I navigate my way. I promise, I believe the book will exceed your expectations. This is my hope.
P.P.S. If we aren’t already friends on Facebook , let’s connect! We can also connect on Twitter and Instagram. Plus, if you haven’t already subscribed to my blog, you should! That way, you won’t miss anything. For joining, you get my personal meal plan, shopping list, and a week’s worth of easy, tasty recipes. https://sarahtalksfood.com/
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