How to Be Happy when Everyone Else’s Life Looks Perfect

Brought to you by:   You've heard that perfect is the enemy of done. But perfection's list of enemies extends well beyond that. Vulnerability, freedom, progress...oh, and reality. Whether you're staring down back-to-school season or just your weekend to-do list, take a breather with today's edition of Summer Fridays. We've rounded up the best stories about the sneaky ways perfectionism influences our lives—and how to break free. This week: The pitfalls of perfectionism.   The Age of Envy: How to Be Happy when Everyone Else's Life Looks Perfect Moya Sarner, The Guardian Social media has created a world in which everyone seems ecstatic – apart from us. Is there any way for people to curb their resentment? Save to Pocket SPONSORED Saying Goodbye to No Call, No Shows with Acuity Businesses, meet Acuity: We'll take care of filling your schedule and herding clients (while you catch up on reading). Click to Pocket Your Free Trial In Defense of Being Average Mark Manson Despite society's obsession with perfection, many of us fall somewhere in the middle of the curve. Save to Pocket My Perfect Pictures and the Pain Behind Them Reema Zaman, Narratively As an actress and model, I presented whatever the world wanted me to be. But there was so much more to my story. Save to Pocket The Japanese Art Principle That Teaches How to Work With Failure Ephrat Livni, Quartz Kintsugi, or gold splicing, emphasizes the beauty and utility of breaks and imperfections. It turns a problem into a plus. Save to Pocket What Kind of Self-Destructive Perfectionist Are You? Stephanie Vozza, Fast Company Spurred perhaps by social media, more people are classified as perfectionists. What are the costs and how can you break the paralysis that's killing your productivity? Save to Pocket Get Closer to the People in Your Life — by Being the Best Mess Possible Mary Halton, TED Ideas It's time to give up on chasing perfection and embrace our uniquely individual quirks and imperfections, says author Chidera Eggerue. Save to Pocket This Is What It's Like to Be Obsessed with Perfection Alex Daly, Glamour From the outside, my life looked perfect. But in reality I was locked in a fierce battle with OCD, constantly struggling with intrusive thoughts. Save to Pocket It's Okay to Be Good and Not Great Brad Stulberg, Outside What if striving to be great is what's holding you back? Save to Pocket Perfectionism and All Its Poisons — an Open Letter to My Five-Year-Old Son Matt Munson, Medium The world isn't changed by people doing perfect work. It's shaped by people doing their best to improve or create things against incredible odds and failing in uncountable ways along the journey. Save to Pocket Perfection Anxiety A.A. Gill, Vanity Fair After spending $19 million on their wedding, and $85 million on an L.A. mansion, James Stunt and Petra Ecclestone have purchased one of Britain's great cultural treasures, a 17th-century, $20 million Van Dyck. So, what's it like to have too much money? Very stressful. Save to Pocket The Internet's Not Perfect Either Links break. Stories get taken down. But with Pocket Premium, you'll have a personal copy of everything you've ever saved.   Get Pocket Premium       Blog Get the Pocket app to save and read anywhere: Privacy Policy  •   Help Center  •   Become a Sponsor You are receiving this email because you signed up for Pocket. Want to change how often you receive Pocket Hits newsletters? Update the frequency here, or unsubscribe. Read It Later, Inc., 233 Sansome Street, Suite 1200, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA