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@Robert Leavitt Thanks, Robert! That's helpful and seems like the best option- to grow right where I am planted.

Leo, Love your work, I have listened to a lot of your videos. I was a massive total perfectionist and I had this tremendous spiritual awakening (dare I say enlightenment) here, through a long series of efforts with various sources I was able to break through this tremendous pain that I was in and become centered and balanced. In this process I spent a ton of time looking on the internet to try to find information regarding what I had figured out. Your video on perfectionism is the only one I found that really addresses and describes the real issues at hand. The majority of information out there, while mostly all valid, never really addresses the fact that the harsh criticisms and constant bickering because our expectations not being met, is the source of a tremendous amount of physical pain and suffering. The vast majority of information deals with work related stuff (Which is fine, but...it's so much more than that). I had the awakening before I saw your video. I used a technique called thought stopping, and I had this experience where I became more humble than I had ever been. Basically consisting of fixing new beliefs like "I have no right to think of this person this way". Or .. even better than that, when I stop judging situations all together. I learned how to give others a break, and in the process, I gave myself a HUGE break. The other thing I found is that I was tremendously prejudicial. I believe it was a result of my perfectionism and all the assumptions I would make, that would then begin fixing more beliefs (I thought it...so it has to be true!), to build an even worse story on top of the bad core beliefs to begin with. Constantly cynical and rationalizing/justifying everything. Somehow .. I had the change of heart. I saw the error in my ways and I forgave the whole world (and myself) and God all at once. Now I'm a super peaceful, fun loving kind, person who really does love everyone. I haven't had an emotional outburst or raised my voice in anger for years.. I went from being an angry, resentful, selfish little entitled child who could not take responsibility for anything, to..... something much better. Peace and Love, Robert Leavitt p.s. To all the naysayers out there...believe in yourself. You can change...I did it, anyone can do it. It's not about having answers. It's about knowing the right questions to ask. What kind of person do you really want to be? What kind of life do you want to have? Everyone is exactly where they want to be, but only successful people want to admit it.

@Robert Leavitt Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. ??

@Bill W I was reminded of something earlier today that might also be useful. A while back I read a book called Enlightenment: Behind the Scenes (by Marc Leavitt). Most of the book was about his enlightenment and how it happened. But there was one short part towards the end that I've always found helpful. He briefly outlines what he feels are the essential steps to becoming awakened (I don't have the book on hand so I am taking this somewhat out of context and might get the wording wrong). One component, he says, is deciding what you want and dropping the struggle. If I remember correctly, the line read "Drop the struggle, no matter how subtle, as soon as you become aware of it." What I like about this idea is that you can apply it to any struggle that you feel arising that you want to drop. It gets you into a space where you can feel what is arising, how it feels in the way it is affecting you, and allows you the space to drop it, either gradually or suddenly. The nice thing about becoming aware of subtle struggles is that as you learn how they arise and what they are you can then say to yourself "Ah, there you are again." In a sense you get to know the struggle better, and shine the light on it, so to speak When I think of letting go, I usually think it means letting go (of an attachment). In my experience attachments tend to be longer-lasting, whereas moments of struggle typically arise and fade. So letting go might be useful in the overall handling of something, and dropping the struggle might be useful in acknowledging the more momentary attachments as they arise. Of course, as long as the technique works for you, then you can call it whatever you want and use it in whatever way gives you the most benefit or progress. Hope this helps a bit more!