When I first dove into holistic health and learned about pesticides, additives, artificial ingredients, unhealthy fats, the politics of food, etc., I became very meticulous about what I ate and was hyper vigilant when shopping or eating out. My standards became almost like a religion. I even got a certification in holistic health coaching to have credentials in helping others live similarly.
Now, ten years later, I am a little more even keeled about food. I am still very conscious about my choices, and I also have let a lot go.
Last Thanksgiving, we wanted to do a fried turkey. The best oil to fry with would have been organic peanut oil. However, buying the amount we needed would have cost hundreds of dollars. So instead, we opted to get peanut oil from Costco. Not organic and it had some additives in it.
As we were putting the jug into our cart, my husband commented that ten years ago, I would have never made this decision and instead stressed about not being able to buy the organic stuff and maybe canceling the idea all together.
A huge reason I have let go of a lot of my perfectionism qualities is after becoming a mom to multiple kids. Being extreme and trying to control everything doesn’t serve me. And it creates stress and anxiety. It can alienate people or situations.
Living somewhere in the middle may feel like a compromise. I have found there are some things worth compromising for our own mental health and for relationships with other people we care for.
