Perfectionism

It was never just sensitivity in that typical sense. It was our own version of “enough”, our internal compass pushing us forward when weren't on the map yet.

When I did that research project on teenage life, journal was everything. I ended up with this small pink booklet full of comments, thoughts, and reactions. I still have it. I realized how you explain something depends a lot on who you're talking to. A kid, a teen, an adult need different things. But I had to be there, in both ends of that process.

Perfectionists just want everything to be perfect. Well, it’s the opposite. It’s wanting things to be better, though they’re not perfect yet. It stings that things aren’t wholly said, but that moment always comes, and once it does, there’s nothing left to worry about. Hit that personal point of excellence. A 12 year old had some to say: