a standard of grace

 a dark cloud over my entire healthy 2012 process has been guilt. the guilt I feel over the failures big or small. the guilt I have let become a constant part of my day. the guilt that has clouded my mind and weighed me down.

in the past when the dark and twisty guilt has been working away at my insides I've looked for ways to medicate myself. a bowl of cherry garcia will pacify this scary guilt monster... a night of lazy TV watching will quiet the pain of the guilt fest... surely this new pair of heels will make me feel fabulous again.
don't misunderstand me there is a time and place for these silly simple pleasures, but they are not a treatment plan. I have so poorly medicated my ailments for such a long time. now I am learning how to stop medicating  and start treating. I need to treat that nasty guilt so I can cure it.
the healthy way.

step one: I will recognize that I can not be perfect
there is no point in guilting myself to death after every mistake. mistakes are part of life. I will hold myself to a standard of grace not perfection.
step two: I will set boundaries
when I measure my progress each tiny victory feel amazing. the momentum of my successes moves me forward.
step three: I will give myself credit 
 I can allow myself to enjoy the rewards of my hard work without granting myself permission to overly indulge.
step four: I will not loose sight of the why trying to accomplish the what
forgetting the real reasons for my goals in the fastest way for me to fail.
step five:I will remember I am not alone
I am not the only person out there who is trying to accomplish something and I am not without support.