📖 Introduction
Many of us grow up carrying the heavy burden of someone else’s expectations. For some, it is the pressure of being the eldest child, constantly striving to be the “perfect” son or daughter to earn a parent’s approval. To survive this pressure, we trap ourselves in the image of a model student—an upright, flawless person. But living with such impossibly high standards comes at a severe cost. We become rigid, highly critical of others, and completely intolerant of mistakes. We end up engaged in constant conflicts over trivial matters, missing out on the joy of true connection. What happens when you finally drop the exhausting need to be perfect?
In this post, a 46-year-old woman shares a profound realization about the root of her lifelong perfectionism. After being inspired by the neat and orderly mind of a friend, she discovered how her desperate need for her father’s recognition had turned her into a harsh, stubborn judge of the world.
Read her beautiful story of self-reflection to see how discarding the heavy mold of perfectionism can open the door to a truly generous, abundant, and happy life.
💬 Story: 🕊️ “Living the Rest of My Life Generously, Abundantly, and Happily”
By Kim Jin-hee / Age 46 / Level 1
I became interested in ‘this meditation’ because I liked the neat and orderly inner world of a school friend I met after a long time. Seeing through me in a short period, her insightful and wise demeanor made me envious, and when I told her I wished I could be like that too, she recommended that I try ‘this meditation.’ Trusting that friend, I registered at the local center without hesitation. While doing the mind subtraction meditation with complete trust, I ended up attending the 7-night, 8-day Level 1 course at the Main Center.
I attended with half expectation and half curiosity, but from the first day, my mind was wide open with a determination to work hard for the 7 nights and 8 days. I sat in the very front row, listened intently to every word the guides said without missing a thing, and tried to follow their guidance well.
“When I discarded all my ‘remembered thoughts of the life I lived’ according to the method, I truly felt in my heart that my existence itself is the universe. That every single object in front of me is the universe, that the person next to me is ultimately the exact same universe as me, and that we are ultimately one.”
Therefore, just as I love myself, I must love the person next to me as myself. So I deeply felt and realized that whatever I give to others ultimately returns to me through this entire universe. In the end, exactly as I consume and use my mind, it returns right back to me.
Also, as I continued to look back on my past to continuously discard the “remembered thoughts of my lived life,” I realized that, as the eldest daughter trying to gain recognition from my father who had wanted a son, I had lived doing my best to be the exemplary, outstanding person he wanted, striving to be recognized for my excellence in front of others.
“As a result, rather than focusing on my own mind, I trapped myself in the image of a model student and an upright person seen by others. Because my standards for judging ‘right and wrong’ were too high, I think I made things hard for myself and had a strong tendency to easily criticize others.”
Because my own standards were too high, I lacked tolerance for others, so there were many things I didn’t like, many things I couldn’t understand from my perspective, and thus many conflicts and clashes over trivial matters. I also saw my own stubbornness and my refusal to listen to what others had to say.
I originally took a week off to come here, but having deeply felt the excellence and necessity of ‘this meditation,’ I plan to adjust my other daily schedules and prioritize making the effort to complete the entire course right away. By doing so, I hope to live the rest of my life generously, abundantly, and happily with the mind of the universe. Just as my usual motto goes: ‘Less in possession, but abundant in existence.’
I also want to express my gratitude to the various guides who worked hard and took trouble during the 7 nights and 8 days of Level 1, as well as to the fellow Level 1 participants who shared this difficult and challenging process by my side. Thank you. ☺
#Enlightenment #HalfExpectationHalfCuriosity #SelfReflection #Introspection #AcquaintanceRecommendation
🌱 NEXT STEPS: Clear Your Mind Today
Are you exhausted from carrying the heavy burden of perfectionism? Has your need for approval made you highly critical of yourself and the people around you? You do not have to live trapped inside the image of a “flawless” person. Discard the heavy standards of your past and step into a life of genuine abundance, tolerance, and peace.
👉 Book a Free Introductory Session at Santa Clara Meditation https://santaclarameditation.org/free-meditation-introduction
