We are always in pursuit of “perfection”.
Growing up, l was always obsessed about my weight. My classmates were always skinnier, and therefore, prettier than me.
No matter what I did, it was never good enough.
Things came to a head when my dressmaker (in Malaysia) said she’d make the “perfect” size for a bride but that I was too fat and that I had 2 months to fit in that dress.
I spent the next two months starving myself, shedding the weight but I didn’t quite make it. Mum flew over with the dress before the wedding and she was forced to make some alterations.
I remember spending my wedding holding my breath and praying that the stitches will hold.
How horrible was that.
Perfection is never attainable.
There is a fine line between wanting to be the best you can be, and reaching for the unattainable goal.
Crossing that line can tip you over into mental health hell.
I tell my kids that they were already perfect when they were born, but there may be skills that they want to get better at and goals they want to achieve and go for it.
They will never be less of a person for not attaining it.
I care more about their happiness than I do about their weight or their grade because…
Perfection is only a state of mind.