cultivating self-compassion – letting go of perfection
One of my personal themes often is that of trying to please many. To not easily sit with the discomfort that arises when I and people around me are sad, mad, and generally unhappy. Trying to change how these moments unfold. A deeply rooted narrative that in time with deep listening, compassion and awareness allows me more to stay with discomfort that arises when I can’t please everyone, or even myself. Sometimes I forget though and try to do too many things at once, and like last night, while tired from traveling, scalded my hand with hot pasta water. All fine there today but in the spirit of cultivating self-compassion and letting go of perfection, declaring some time to pause and rest, even as this post is due on this self imposed deadline of the 14th of the month, this will be an imperfectly delivered post. A very short one. But I will share a poem.
May you next month be one of staying close to yourself. Leaning into the discomfort of not being perfect, and cultivating kindness and compassion for your being that strives to have each moment be different, or indeed – be perfect. May we all learn to live with a little less perfection and cultivate wholeheartedness in just being, however that may show up.
Sweet Darkness by David Whyte
When your eyes are tired the world it tired also. When your vision has gone no part of the world can find you. Time to go into the dark where the night has eyes to recognize its own. There you can be sure you are not beyond love. The dark will be your womb tonight. The night will give you a horizon further than you can see. You must learn one thing. The world was made to be free in. Give up all the other worlds except the one to which you belong. Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn anything or anyone that does not bring you aliveis too small for you.
livinglifewithpassion 
thank you so much for this! I find it so hard not to soak up the emotions of those around me – and then try to make everyone happy! And yes, sometimes we try to please everyone, and that is impossible… all you end up doing is not pleasing yourself. I think sometimes it is just be in the moment, be you, and be comfortable that sometimes things are going to be uncomfortable.