“…psychologists today differentiate between positive perfectionism which adaptive and healthy, and negative perfectionism, which is maladaptive and neurotic. I regard these two types of perfectionism as so dramatically different in both their underlying nature and their ramifications that I prefer to use them entirely different terms to refer to them. Throughout this book, I will refer to negative perfectionism simply as perfectionism and to positive perfectionism as optimalism.”

What is the difference between a perfectionist and an optimalist?

To start with the optimalist embraces the constraints of reality where the perfectionist rejects the constraints and holds themselves to impossible standards that result in failure and pain. In short perfectionists reject everything that deviates from their flawless, faultless ideal vision. As a result whenever they do not meet their own unrealistic standards, they suffer. On the other hand the optimists accept and make the best of everything that life has to offer.

There is one fact of life that we all face – Failure happens! We are going to experience negative emotions. That is inevitable.If we want to experience the joy of the Hero’s journey we must say YES to all that we have learned and do our best with what we have gained in life.