Being in the woods alone tops playing music on the list of David’s Happy Places. There my thoughts quiet down, I breathe better, and I feel oneness with something bigger than me. Every week I write down that I will spend time in the woods that week. Every week it never happens.  I come from a long line of people who care about the quality of their work. Completed correctly, the first time, and without exception - that’s how they explained it to me.  That mindset makes me good at my jobs - I am a perfectionist.  That mindset makes me an anxious wreck at my jobs, too - I am a perfectionist. And,That mindset keeps me from doing the other work of self-care - because I am a…Caring too much about one thing takes you away from doing the other things that matter. Too much focus on a job that pays can mean too little effort on your health, mind, and spirit.  “But, David, I need to do a good job because I need the money,” says the perfectionist in me. “But what good is the money if you are living a life alone, unhappy, and unhealthy? Was it worth it?”

Last modified on 2020-09-15