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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Embarrassing Secrets of a Recovering Perfectionist

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During my first month as a freshman at Vassar College, one of my hallmates caught me folding my dirty laundry.

Yes, you read that right – I folded my dirty laundry before placing it in the collapsible navy-blue mesh hamper at the foot of my bed. It was a nervous habit that gave me a sense of control in an unfamiliar place.

Of course I didn’t want anyone to know about my odd practice, so I flushed with embarrassment when my hallmate said, “Caroline, did you seriously just fold those pajamas before putting them into your hamper?”

My hallmate’s tone was more amused than accusatory, but even so, I felt like hiding under the bed.

“Yeah, I did. You got me. I’m a total neat freak,” I said, trying to laugh it off. I swallowed hard and tried to push aside the critical voice inside my head that said, You’re so weird! Why can’t you be normal? What’s wrong with you?

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How Do I Trust Myself and My Inner Knowing? (Ask Caroline Videos)

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“How can I learn to trust my inner voice and make my decisions based on it, no matter how odd or messy or random they look at the time?”

That’s just one of the powerful questions posed in The Confidence Course survey earlier this year.

As I read through dozens of responses, I felt motivated to answer and help.

In this new “Ask Caroline” video series, I’m responding to your questions and coaching you toward greater clarity.

Recovering perfectionists like us struggle to trust the apparent messiness of our intuition and the apparent randomness of our learning process. In this video, I shed light on how we can build self-trust.

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It’s Me Who Decides.

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Real talk: Are you getting where you want to go in life? Are you putting your foot on the gas pedal, or are you idling?

These are hard questions to ask – I get that. But they’re also really important.

You’re the one in the driver’s seat. Falling asleep at the wheel is dangerous, both literally and metaphorically.

But being awake, alert, and active? That can save a life.

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