Reflection:
If I heard the opening quote once, I heard it a hundred times in the 12 Step meetings I attended during my early days of sobriety. At first, it sounded cliché. But the longer I listened, the more it sank in:
Perfectionism fuels shame.
For years, I believed recovery—or life, for that matter—was about getting it all right. If I slipped, stumbled, or showed weakness, it felt like failure. But the truth I began to learn in those smoky rooms filled with folding chairs and strong coffee was this: recovery is not about flawless performance; it’s about steady growth…and yes, smoking inside was legal back then.
Growth doesn’t happen in leaps and bounds—it’s measured in small, deliberate steps. One choice at a time. One day at a time. Solid growth occurs when you keep moving forward, even if it’s just an inch. And when you inevitably mess up, you don’t pile shame on top of the mistake. You don’t throw in the towel. You pause, reset, and take the next step.
That’s the rhythm of recovery: fall, get up, and keep walking. Over time, those steps—halting, awkward, imperfect—add up to something stronger than perfection. They build a life rooted in progress, not performance; humility, not pride; freedom, not shame.
Soul Search
Where can I celebrate progress today?
Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
