I’ve been writing a blog for over five years now, off and on. My older sister Linda has been my editor most of this time (with a two year break in the middle due to her returning to work). She has a master’s degree in English and is an avid reader. She has taught at both high school and college levels and also worked as a technical writer for many years. She has been generous with her expertise (i.e., refusing to let me pay her) and has reviewed many of my entries, providing me with feedback that has been both spot on and helpful. No doubt that her keen eye and suggestions have also made me a better blogger. Her coaching translated into the training wheels I needed at first. It can be quite intimidating (kitten meow) to expose my creative writing and internal Self in this format.
There are several flaws to this editing process however. One negative is that it interrupts the flow of my writing. Because of our mismatched schedules, it can take over a week, sometimes two, to get my post to her then back to me and finally on to the blog page. I have the tendency to be cautious, so I’ve read, tweaked and edited myself more times than necessary to begin with. But the biggest drawbacks are my underlying motivation for perfection and anxiety over being judged. There’s nothing wrong with wanting my posts to be grammatically correct. I just don’t want to over indulge fear and self-doubt.
I have made what feels like a bold but honest decision to just post my best, and yes, at times flawed posts in the Spirit of being freer in my Self-expression. It feels good to choose taking a little risk and to stop watering worry.
My oracle today? Well, I had cataract surgery on my right eye last Wednesday. My dear friend Dawn D., who I collaborated with on the first blog called Your Beautiful Life and where my “Prior Posts” on this blog site came from, sent me a get well card. The front of the card says, “A beautiful thing is never perfect” and then on the inside she and her husband are congratulating me on my now perfect vision in one eye and wishing me a speedy recovery. Thanks for the confirmation Universe and it’s even sweeter that the message was delivered through Dawn D.
Perfection is overrated!
NN
