SharonWhat does being a perfectionist mean? Simply, it means that there is absolutely no room for failure. Anything achieved by the perfectionist must be completely, well, perfect, no errors, not average but the best possible outcome that can be expected. This expectation is self-imposed and is often times, unrealistic.
Perfectionists have an all-or-nothing mindset. They usually grow up with an overly-critical parent and are constantly pressurized to achieve and maintain top results, anything less is unacceptable.
The problem is that nothing the perfectionist does is ever good enough. When they succeed at one goal, they quickly move onto the next. As a result, the perfectionist is in danger of suffering from anxiety or depression. The perfectionist is likely to have low self-esteem. If the perfectionist views their body as less than perfect, they will take matters to the extreme and are in danger of developing eating disorders.
The life of a perfectionist is a constant struggle even though from the outside, they appear to be self-confident and are successful. Inwardly, the perfectionist actually has a low sense of self-worth and lacks self-esteem. Sadly in some cases, over time the constant fear of failure and being unable to live with perceived failures, the perfectionist may decide the only escape is to end their own life.
For most of us, failures are a normal part of every day life. We accept that we are only human, we make mistakes and can choose to learn from them. This is a much healthier attitude as failure cannot be avoided. Having a strong support system can help ease the difficulties in life we go through.
Experiencing difficulties and challenges helps us to grow stronger. We learn that we can survive them, that we are resilient and that no matter what happens today, the sun will still shine tomorrow.
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