Hi all. I am a recovering perfectionist. I missed out on many opportunities because I was afraid that I would not be able to do them perfectly from the start. I gave up on hobbies because I thought I had to be perfect from the beginning, like playing the piano. I had no concept of building skills: I thought one either had a talent, or not, leaving no room for average. In the following paragraphs, I am talking to my counselor Karen about creating goals, but I was too afraid to even try to achieve them. ****“What if I fail?” I asked Karen. I realized that I failed to try anything that I could not do perfectly and all I could do perfectly was clean house. I thought about trying other things but never got around to it. I made a mental note: “To think and think and think about a thing and never to accomplish it at all.” Karen responded by saying, “Use failures as a learning experience and try again. It’s a waste of time to wait to do everything perfectly. In order to grow, it’s necessary to attempt new skills. Let go of the limiting controls of perfectionism! To make mistakes is to be human and everyone makes mistakes.”****Of course, I’ve since learned that trying to do something perfectly is not plausible. I paint, most imperfectly. I write, imperfectly. I live and love, not quite perfect. But I am experiencing life with more fullness because I understand that I do not have to do anything perfectly! I even gave up cleaning house perfectly! What would you do if you knew you did not have to do it perfectly?