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Mindfulness

Practice, not Perfection

It’s okay to be a C-student sometimes

Aunty Jean

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Photo by DJ Johnson on Unsplash

Jean, you don’t have to be an A-student all the time,” said my wise psychologist.

I was just out of a hospitalization for severe depression, my anxiety and OCD were sky-high, and I was struggling to study for an upcoming exam that was required for my field of work.

It felt like my whole life was on the line, and I was going to fail in my attempts to move on. And that’s when my psychologist told me to try to be a C-student.

I felt like my whole life was on the line, and I was going to fail in my attempts to move on.

At first, I was shocked by his advice. Why wouldn’t I want to give the exam my all? Hmm, maybe because I was physically and mentally exhausted. Maybe because, in my current state, a grade of C would be a great achievement.

And, he reminded me, once I passed, no one would care what grade I passed with. The whole of my education wasn’t encompassed in that one exam. I could continue with my education when I was physically and mentally in a better place. Then, I could go on to achieve the excellence that I knew I was capable of.

I wasn’t slacking. I was protecting…

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