Perfectionism and Mindfulness

For the past couple of years, I’ve been interested in learning more about mindfulness and meditation.  About a year-and-a-half ago, I took a Udemy course on mindfulness and found it very interesting.  Then about five months ago, I took a course on mindfulness from Lower Lights.  Since that time, most nights I’ve engaged in meditation as part of my end-of-the-day winding down.  

As I’ve begun to incorporate the fundamentals, I’ve realized that my perfectionism is diminishing.  Here are just six of the concepts I’ve noticed that are changing the way I am: 

Letting go of judgment.  One of the main teachings of meditation is to become aware of my thoughts without judging them.  They aren’t good or bad; they just are.  As I learn to focus my awareness, if my thoughts go awry, rather than getting upset or feeling I’ve failed, I can gently guide them back.  This concept is directly related to—

Observing my thoughts.  When I have a thought that is unproductive, I can step outside of myself and watch myself having that thought, metacognitively.  Then it’s easier to see how a thought may be negatively impacting me, and to rein it in. 

Becoming centered.  When I notice that I am emotionally out-of-balance, I am better able to center myself again.  Then I’m able to start again, which is related to—

Having a beginner’s mind.  I can approach issues as a beginner would, with curiosity and with the ability to start anew, giving myself a second chance.  This relates to repentance, allowing me to let go of past mistakes and start over again—as many times as it takes. This resilience has been lacking in me.  

Being present in the moment.  If I’m living in the past, it is often laced with regret.  If I’m living in the future, it is often tied to apprehension.  So living in the present allows me to be conscious of where I am right now.  I can let go of what’s outside of my control.  

Coming to know myself.  We are dual beings.  My natural man is my false self.  As I get in touch with my true self, I’m more open to how I fit into God’s larger story for me.  I can hear His voice more readily, and experience Him on a deeper level.  

I recently finished the book, The Power of Stillness—Mindful Living for Latter-day Saints.  I purchased the book at Deseret Book and listened to it on Deseret Plus Audio.  It is great at showing the consistencies between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the traditions of Eastern mindfulness.  And it makes studying these concepts more mainstream for me. 

Compared to living in crisis mode and survival mode, this way of being is much less frantic.  It feels so good to just slow down and be still.  And it’s true, as I let go of the need to be perfect, I feel better about myself, God, and my fellowmen.  

To be continued . . . with Part 58