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Hey First name / friend,
 
In the spirit of a spooky day, let’s talk about perfectionism. 👻 
 
“I call it the 20-ton shield. It's a way of thinking that says this: If I look perfect, live perfect, work perfect, I can avoid or minimize criticism, blame and ridicule.” Brene Brown is always getting it right. 
 
Talk about a truth bomb! 💣
 
She also observes that we struggle with perfectionism in areas we feel most vulnerable to shame.
 
Considering our own experience with perfectionism creeping up in practice and performance - and in the things we care about most - this hits the nail right on the head. The more we care about something, the more we care that people interpret us as “good”, and the louder perfectionism’s voice gets.
 
We watch our students struggle with perfectionism. You all ask us how to overcome it. We've got some thoughts today but first, it’s important to remember that striving for excellence isn’t the same as perfectionism!
 
Perfectionism stops us from putting ourselves out there. It creates the illusion that we aren’t ready. And, it falsely presents an idea that there is an “end point”, a place where everything will just be … “right”. The reality is that there is SO MUCH more space between “not ready” and “very ready” than we think… 
 
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So how can you beat it? How can you maneuver through thoughts that you need the shield, that you need to be perfect? 
 
We've got 5 ideas on the blog today titled “5 ways to let go of perfectionism!”👇 
 
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Because we know how many of us struggle with perfectionism, we’re focusing on it during the month of November in our Thrive membership! The first event is Seunghee Lee’s workshop on “Letting Go of Perfectionism” (free) on November 13 @ 5pm ET.
 
Check out all 3 of Seunghee’s November events here! 
 
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One last thing: as you all audition for schools and summer festivals and all the things, it’s easy to think people are looking for perfect. 
 
They’re not. 
 
They’re looking for excellence, for your voice, for a convincing musical story. 
 
Take care of yourselves out there and enjoy that crisp autumn air! 🍂
 
Much love, 
Tiffany, Ixi & Ted 
 
ps: TLTR? Read the blog post on 5 ways to let go of perfectionism and sign up for Seunghee Lee’s “Letting Go of Perfectionism” talk on Nov 13! 
 

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