Spiritually pwned

Credit

Several years ago, while I still aspired to be a theology scholar, I was in the midst of finals. This is a stressful time. With papers to complete, and exams to prepare for, there are many opportunities to practice being anxious and overwhelmed. I knew that my perfectionism lay behind much of my stress. If I hadn't been so worried to produce a perfect piece of writing, or ace an exam, I would be far more relaxed.

I was speaking about this with someone I had recently met, wallowing in the self-pity and drama of the finals season. I mentioned that I wanted to stop being a perfectionist but didn't know how. 

"Do you know what I do when I'm acting like a perfectionist?" he asked me.

"No, what?" I replied, wondering what esoteric psychological technique he employed.

"I ask God to help me do it imperfectly," was his answer.

This man, I don't even know what his religion was, provided such a simple and humble answer to my dilemma. I, with my multiple theology degrees, had overlooked the obvious. Pwned.