The Stifling Voice of Perfectionism

“Just Stifle it!” The most common phrase of Archie Bunker on that ’70s TV show “All in the Family.” He could have easily said any other expression, i.e., Muffle it. Stuff a sock in it. Smother it. Cut it out. Stop it. Shut up! The writers came up with a phrase that spoke of Archie’s character, or Carrol O’Connor came up with it. Regardless, if he didn’t want to hear anything about it, he would say, “Just stifle it!”

There’s an internal voice in my head saying this to my writing.
Everyday. All the time.
It’s a stifling voice that sounds like Archie
just before I think I’m ready to hit the “Publish” button.

What’s the problem? Procrastination, or some other fancy word that tells me others won’t get it, they’ll poke holes in it, or they will think differently about me because I said it. Any of them will work. Pick your poison, and it’ll work just fine.

Why would you struggle with perfection when you write but don’t struggle with it in other important areas of life? Say, relationships, finances, career. Do you get the picture? We are all bottles of imperfection, just waiting to show how bad we can be at something. Our attitudes stink, and we’re quick to show it off. We squander our emotions on something knowing all the while they show how weirdly we think about things.

Learning how to control self, well, that’s the day’s lesson! I don’t have to be perfect; only be aware of the power of the voice that constantly whispers, “Stifle it!”

I’m never going to be perfect! That’s okay! I learn as I share. Every blog, lesson, sermon, social post, or even how I think. Life is constantly learning how to be better. If we ever reach perfection, there is nothing left to achieve. Perfection eventually becomes stagnation. Life is constantly changing, goals are always moving, and the rewards for success improve with age.