December 2009
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Nov		Jan »
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Perspective on Perfectionism

I am breaking a rule. Flylady asks that we not share these emails outside of the Flylady Big Tent Group. I apologize to Kelly who wrote it and Flylady who asked me not to share it. This is gold and you need to see it and I need to save it to read over and over.

Dear Friends,
As we are Cruising through the Holidays we need to make
sure that we keep a few things in perspective. Perfectionism. Ahh
there it is that terrible "P" word. How do we keep our perspective
about our own perfectionism. There are so many of us that don’t
believe we can possibly be perfectionists. I mean we are SHEs!! ( sidetracked home executives) We don’t worry about being perfect, we are just trying to survive! Right? WRONG! There is something about the Holiday season that makes us want to jump through hoops that we would never aim for any other time of year.

We scour through magazines looking for new and exciting ways to prepare a turkey. We love watching those DIY (Do It Yourself) television shows on how to make an oh so lovely centerpiece. We aspire to making the cutest and tastiest holiday cookies – ever!! OK, I could go on and on but the reality is this,

a turkey is a turkey and most people really prefer their holiday meals the way they are used to. A lovely centerpiece? Sure we all would love to have a centerpiece for our holiday table that makes our guests just gush in awe and amazement but in reality let’s aim for our dining room tables being set and ready before the turkey is out of the oven.

Holiday cookies – the last time I checked I am always thrilled to just have holiday cookies that are baked by me and not the local bakery because I could not find the time. As for them being the cutest ever, well, I’ll settle for delicious over cute. There is nothing wrong with wanting a great holiday season and all the trimmings that we can handle. Keeping your perspective is the key.

If you are going to stay up too late at night, not getting enough
sleep just so you can re-arrange the dried holly berries and leaves for your centerpiece – you might have lost perspective.
If you are spending time and money that you can’t afford on the cutest cookies ever – you might have lost perspective.
If you are not letting your children participate in the decorating for the holidays because they don’t do it "right – you might have lost perspective.
If you are yelling at your kids because you have lost your patience for the very last time over spilled sprinkles for the cookies – you might have lost perspective.
If you have gone behind your family and have re-done the Holiday decorations because they weren’t what YOU wanted them to be – you might have lost perspective.
If you have spent a hundred dollars on Holiday magazines that will show you the perfect table setting, recipes, and gifts for this year -you might have lost perspective.
If you are rolling your eyes and sighing at your husband because he just won’t help you do anything (because you haven’t actually told him what you need) – you might have lost perspective.

I think by now you might have gotten the point. FLYing will get you
well on you way to having a more peaceful and joyous Holiday season.
Loving yourself enough to get good rest. Loving yourself enough to
know that there are NO perfect holidays. Norman Rockwell had to paint the perfect Holiday scene because in reality, we are real people with real lives that make up real families that are not perfect! FLYing
means keeping your perspective close at heart and perfectionism at
arms length!
Love,
Kelly

Jodiann here: If you would like to receive emails like this daily please sign up at Flylady.net. Its free to all.

We decorated our little Holly Bush for Christmas here are some snaps.