donna's blog

Some kids move through the day as if a camera is pointed at them all the time. They notice who looked over when they dropped a pencil. They replay the way they answered a question in class. They wonder if their laugh sounded strange, if their clothes looked wrong, if a teacher’s neutral face meant disappointment. Even small choices can feel public and loaded. Hyper self-conscious kids are not being dramatic. Their minds are working hard to predict judgment before it happens.

Perfectionism often fuels decision paralysis because it quietly raises the “starting bar” until it feels like you’re required to get everything right before you’re allowed to begin. When every choice has to be the best choice, your brain treats ordinary uncertainty as danger. You end up over-researching, rewriting, and second-guessing, not because you’re lazy or unmotivated, but because launching something imperfect can feel like a verdict on your competence. In that mindset,

Nope. I don't buy it. Along with phrases like "put it into the universe," "manifest it," and "give it up to God," I find these ideas unhelpful. Or the saying, "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." Um, no again. Why? Because you and I are working really hard every day to reframe, reintegrate, and re-parent ourselves. Let's give ourselves a little credit! YOU did it. My father used to say this. He published someone's bestselling novel that reached the top of the New