I have mixed feelings when I look at this image.
I thought perfectionistic tendencies were limited to eating disorder behavior. Wrong. I’ve had to confront my own demanding rules concerning my own recovery; it’s a process. And, within the last few years, I’ve repeatedly encountered other sufferers who come to me, asking how to reach their own “perfect” recovery.
There is no such animal.
I love a quote from Dr. Phil McGraw; I refer to it often:
“Life is managed, it’s not cured.”
Amen to that! Pressure OFF!
At least, it should be off.
All through college, I was riddled with keeping my eating disorder behaviors secret. As things got more out of control, shame further drove my need for secrecy. And it also drove a deep need within me NOT to be “that eating disorder girl.” I didn’t want the stigma of that negative label.
And now, I find a lot of young girls and women are driven by a similar motivation; they don’t want to be “that girl.” A lot of them think, if they recover just “perfectly” enough, they’ll be cured and no longer that negatively labeled person.
But again, life is a process, not a onetime event. Dr. Phil, if you would, please?
“Life is managed, it’s not cured.”
And here’s where scripture comes in handy:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
I repeat it often, because it bears repeating. I’m not anti-recovery; I’m all for it. But, in recovery, remove the oppressive “perfect” standard. There is no perfect recovery; there is no perfect life. But that should not disqualify any of us from the process of our lives. And process truly is the stuff of our lives. It’s where we find ourselves and find ourselves to be more interesting than a perfect cookie cutter standard.
God does not require perfection in your recovery. He wants you to be in relationship with Him. He’ll help you, while you’re in process. Don’t dismiss that imperfect process. There are incredible things found there!
God bless you, in process!
Copyright © 2013 by Sheryle Cruse
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The "When Perfectly Recovered" Issue...
I have mixed feelings when I look at this image.
I thought perfectionistic tendencies were limited to eating disorder behavior. Wrong. I’ve had to confront my own demanding rules concerning my own recovery; it’s a process. And, within the last few years, I’ve repeatedly encountered other sufferers who come to me, asking how to reach their own “perfect” recovery.
There is no such animal.
I love a quote from Dr. Phil McGraw; I refer to it often:
“Life is managed, it’s not cured.”
Amen to that! Pressure OFF!
At least, it should be off.
All through college, I was riddled with keeping my eating disorder behaviors secret. As things got more out of control, shame further drove my need for secrecy. And it also drove a deep need within me NOT to be “that eating disorder girl.” I didn’t want the stigma of that negative label.
And now, I find a lot of young girls and women are driven by a similar motivation; they don’t want to be “that girl.” A lot of them think, if they recover just “perfectly” enough, they’ll be cured and no longer that negatively labeled person.
But again, life is a process, not a onetime event. Dr. Phil, if you would, please?
“Life is managed, it’s not cured.”
And here’s where scripture comes in handy:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
I repeat it often, because it bears repeating. I’m not anti-recovery; I’m all for it. But, in recovery, remove the oppressive “perfect” standard. There is no perfect recovery; there is no perfect life. But that should not disqualify any of us from the process of our lives. And process truly is the stuff of our lives. It’s where we find ourselves and find ourselves to be more interesting than a perfect cookie cutter standard.
God does not require perfection in your recovery. He wants you to be in relationship with Him. He’ll help you, while you’re in process. Don’t dismiss that imperfect process. There are incredible things found there!
God bless you, in process!
Copyright © 2013 by Sheryle Cruse
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