More on perfectionism

Debra at As I See It Now writes about her early struggles as a Christian to be more like God by sheer force of will. The result? Not joy, but increasing frustration and guilt:

Why? Basically, it was because I tried to be like Jesus. I ... I.... I tried to be like God. But that wasn't my job and for years and years the frustration grew because I was in the wrong job. I plopped myself into an impossible career, one no person on Earth can handle, though I tried for the next 25 years.

I'd go to church every Sunday and was preached at that I should tell people about Jesus (tell, tell,tell..that's the main thing) and I thought that meant telling strangers about the Jesus in the Bible. And my guilt grew like trees because talking to strangers like that scared me to tiny pieces.

I was told to 'be ye perfect' and I tried so hard and wrote up so many plans and read stacks of books and tried and tried to be perfect. But I never even came close. And guilt grew taller and a sense of failure, too, as well as the need to wear a mask to hide all this mess. To appear as something I should be, but wasn't.

How did she overcome that sad condition? Well, if you've read this far, why not read Debra's whole article?

Update: Swap Blog has more here.