The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

supposed to”—the battle cry of fitting in, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and proving ourselves:

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.

Somewhere along the way, we adopt this dangerous and debilitating belief system: I am what I accomplish and how well I accomplish it.

Taking a balanced approach to negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated.

Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down extraordinary moments.

It’s terrifying to risk when you’re a perfectionist; your self-worth is on the line.

We cannot selectively numb emotions. When we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.

three criteria for meaningful work—complexity, autonomy, and a relationship between effort and reward—

sit down and make a list of the specific conditions that are in place when everything feels good in your life. Then check that list against your to-do list and your to-accomplish list. It might surprise you.