The Cure for the “Perfect” Life

This summer I have had the pleasure to serve on the Launch Team for Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory’s new book, The Cure for the “Perfect” Life. Being on the Launch Team means that I received an advance copy of the book.  That, my friends, I thought was the #1 perk!  Until I started reading it.  Then I quickly realized that the #1 perk is the way that God is using the work of these ladies to speak into my life.

While I haven’t finished the book, yet, I wanted to share a few things that have already made an impression on me.  My hope is that these few “golden nuggets” will provide you with a little taste of this book’s message and you will want to get your hands on a copy as soon as possible! 

• “There’s no easy way to leave the life that’s been expected of us and to start living the brave, not so neatly tied up life that God is calling us to.” – I think this sentence stuck out to me because of the work “expected.”  So many times I feel like I make decisions based on what I think others expect of me instead of what God wants from me. Many times that is the safe thing to do, but playing it safe is not always what He calls us to do. Once we made the decision to not make the final move to Raleigh this summer many people expected us to return to life just as it was.  Same job.  Same church.  Etc.  However, just as Kathi and Cheri encourage their readers to do, I am trying hard to not cave in to other’s expectations and to ask myself, “What does God want from me (or in some instances, us)... and have for me (us)?”  We can miss out on so much when we spend our energy trying to live up to other’s expectations rather than His!
• “Although each bully (perfectionism, people-pleasing, performancism, and procrastination) has his own special weapon, they all share one common goal:  to convince you to pour all your energy into creating and maintaining an image.  This image is based on who they say you should be.”- Do you see a pattern forming here?  Once again, I highlighted a section that deals directly with what others think.  I think God is really trying to get my attention to remind me that my identity is found in Him and Him alone!  While I love social media (FB, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.) it is also draining because I often find myself spending so much time trying to maintain the “perfect” image.  I shared this post a few weeks ago and need to read it everyday because it is oh so true! Social media is great for learning from each other, but deadly if we compare and compete.  Hmm…

• I have just started the chapter Fear:  The Main Force of Try-Harder Living and it is talking about the fear of never being enough.  Cheri hit me in the gut when she stated, “I was afraid of not being enough.  I couldn’t figure out how to be more.  But I could do more.  And I could get more.”  How many times do I try to let my calendar or my possessions equal my worth as a wife, mother, teacher, woman?  My, oh my!

While I could go on and on about all of the “golden nuggets” I am taking away from this book, I won’t. Remember I said the purpose of this post was to peak your interest so that you will want to read this book for yourself ?!? I sure hope you will! God is using this book to speak into my life and challenge me to be more like Him with every decision that I make. By doing so, I pray that I will have the strength to stop trying harder and start living braver!