Get Past Perfect and Rise Up Real.

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Did you know that certain Native American artisans weave small, purposeful mistakes into their blankets?

These master craftspeople include intentional slip-ups in their best work. But why?

Because they believe that the “mistake” is the very space that allows Spirit to move in and out of the fabric.

Take a moment and let that sink in. Then ask yourself …

What if the mistakes you wish you hadn’t made could be openings for Spirit in your life?

If that question freaks you out a little, I understand.

I’m Caroline Garnet McGraw, and I’m a recovering perfectionist. (And workaholic and codependent and people-pleaser. You know, just the usual.)

I’ve spent most of my life in abject terror of making mistakes. But in 2011, I started this blog as an account of the journey to get past perfect and rise up real.

A Wish Come Clear is about the lifelong odyssey that we take to come home to ourselves and each other.

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Breakthrough to Purpose

Stop Feeling Stuck and Start Trusting Yourself

Every time I start feeling stuck and unsure, I remember a woman I’ve never met.

Her name was Te-lah-nay, a Native American woman displaced during the Trail of Tears. She was forced to march from her home in Alabama all the way to Oklahoma. 500 miles, minimum.

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I Was Brave, I Resisted, I Set Myself on Fire

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I had my first panic attack in the first grade, when my teacher returned my paper with “See Me” written in red ink.

Getting a “See Me” meant lining up by the teacher’s desk and waiting to talk to her privately … in front of everyone.

I’d always had “Excellent” on my papers before, and I thought a “See Me” meant that I’d screwed up.

At six years old, I couldn’t handle that. When I walked to the front of the room, my breath came in short, fast gulps.

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The Day I Threw Them All Away

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You guys, I finally did it.

I finally got rid of my old business cards.

It wasn’t an easy choice to make. I’d been so proud when I ordered them! They had really pretty pictures! Wasn’t it wasteful to let them go?

Earlier this week, though, I finally tossed the remaining stacks into the recycling.

Why? Because I got clear on one thing: Keeping those cards meant holding onto the past.

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