BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, Happy Friday! You’ve made it through another week. I hope you’re finding a moment to celebrate yourself for that. I have two quick updates, both for events next week that I’m genuinely excited about, and I’d love to see you there! Before that, I want to share a beautiful moment we had in the Curious Minds Collective. Last night was our games night, and we had a blast! It was a beautiful way to end the day and I didn't realise how much I...
3 months ago • 2 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, So. It is officially May. I know, I know... I've checked. Twice. Because as some of you very kindly pointed out last week, I got the dates spectacularly wrong (again) whilst joking with you about getting dates wrong. The irony was not lost on me! I am, if nothing else, consistent. But it did get me thinking. What happens when we hear something often enough that we just… stop questioning it? Not because it's obviously true. Not even...
3 months ago • 2 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, Right. Small confession time. I proofread my last email. Thoroughly. And still managed to announce that we were nearly at the end of May. It's April. Still (I'm fairly certain anyway...) Several of you very kindly pointed this out, and I want to say thank you — not just for flagging it, but for laughing about it with me rather than at me. That distinction matters. Here's the thing. A few years ago, a public blunder like that would have...
3 months ago • 2 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, This is the last email in May. We're now coming to the end self-advocacy theme and throughout June, we'll be getting curious about beliefs and burnout prevention. Judging by some of the conversations I've had recently, the timing feels rather appropriate. And before you think I'm calling you out specifically, I planned this strategy months ago, so I'm not- I promise! But the patterns that keep coming up our community are worth getting...
3 months ago • 3 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, Happy Friday! How are you doing? Well, what a month it's been. Self-advocacy month is, quite honestly, finishing with a sparkly bang. I've been building my professional speaking career recently. And yeah, it's been terrifying. Even with all my performance training, there's still something about stepping onto a stage as yourself and proving you are who you claim to be, demonstrating evidence of your excellence to a room of eyes all trained...
4 months ago • 3 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, We're nearly into May. Nearly halfway through the year. That's a bit hairy and scary in its own right. Before we finish April's theme of self-advocacy and start moving into next month, let me bring up something I've actually been putting off mentioning. Not consciously. But when I look back, I've mentioned it in passing and then sort of… swerved around it. Probably because it still makes me a little uncomfortable, even now. Honesty. About...
4 months ago • 2 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, It's time to talk about that gap I mentioned on Wednesday. Specifically, the gap between who you are and what you’re actually spending your capacity on. It shows up as resentment, as a bone-tired stretched-thin feeling, or as the creeping sense that you’re running on fumes while somehow still expected to be operating at full output. And it’s been so normalised — the idea that everyone else’s needs come first and yours sit quietly at the...
4 months ago • 3 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, We need to talk about something that doesn't get enough exposure. How do you balance advocating for your own needs when they conflict with someone else’s? A workplace situation. A relationship. A family dynamic. Whatever the setting — you’ve got your needs, they’ve got theirs, and suddenly the whole thing feels like a standoff nobody asked for. Let's validate this for a moment, it's hard. I’m not going to dress that up for you. However, I...
4 months ago • 2 min read
BETH THOMAS RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST Hey there Reader, On Wednesday I mentioned that I would talk about RSD. So here we go! RSD stands for rejection sensitive dysphoria. It’s the very real, very painful reaction you experience in response to rejection — and this is the important bit — real and perceived rejection. So if you have RSD, it’s not just actual rejection that sets it off. It’s also anything that could be rejection. Criticism. “Feedback”. A weird tone in a text message. Someone going...
4 months ago • 3 min read
