Have you ever felt the crushing weight of unmet expectations? In this episode of Navigating a Broken Vessel, host Dave Harris dives deep into a phrase that has echoed throughout his life since seventh grade: "Capable of doing better".
Dave shares a vulnerable and honest look at his journey from being a "study hall" regular in elementary school to struggling with a 1.87 GPA in high school. He reflects on the psychological toll of perfectionism and how setting the bar at "perfect" can lead to a cycle of perpetual disappointment.
The Mid-Term Trauma: How four simple words from a teacher in 1990 became a lifelong internal critic.
The "Study Hall" Cycle: Memories of Mr. Oldoerp and the fear of falling short in the fourth grade.
The Perfectionist’s Trap: A look at Dave’s career in live television and the stress of "post-mortem" meetings where anything less than flawless was a failure.
Finding the "Game": How Dave learned to navigate higher education—earning multiple degrees by turning the challenge into a competition with himself rather than a quest for perfection.
Be Ye Therefore Perfect... Eventually: A reflection on Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s 2017 talk and learning to embrace the "eventually" in personal growth.
Dave offers practical, grounded advice for anyone struggling to get out of bed or feeling "stuck" in their career or mental health journey. Learn why celebrating minuscule successes and "turning off the brain" to let the body take over can be the first step toward becoming unstuck.
"If we set the bar at perfection, we will always be disappointed because every single one of us is capable of doing better." — Dave Harris
Listen now to reframe your failures and find peace in the pursuit of "better."
Link to talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:
Be Ye Therefore Perfect -- Eventually
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Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional, and this should not be taken as any kind of medical advice. If you need assistance, I highly recommend working with mental health professionals. I use many myself.
