I struggle with perfectionism which rears its head in all areas of my life, and especially my work. I find it hard to know when to stop improving or tinkering with a project and I also find it hard to accept that the thing I’ve been working on is “good enough”.

I get particularly triggered in this pattern when I need to be in ‘improving mode’ in my work. Editing a piece of writing can set me off, as can making updates or improvements to my programs and courses. I can get quite emotional when it’s time for me to let go of a big project and stop perfecting it.

Through reading the Akashic Records, here’s one of the most interesting observations I’ve had:

Our biggest soul gift and biggest struggle in life will usually spring from the same source.

For example, when I had an Akashic Record reading back when I first started training as a practitioner, I learned that one of my soul gifts is in improving things – I’m good at seeing what needs to be changed or fixed in order to yield better results (this comes from my soul group of origin). My energy centre of training is the third, which is the centre of perfection (among other energies). These two aspects of the soul profile are probably the most defining ones about my soul, so put these two together and I have a strong soul urge to improve and perfect things. When I’m not in balance with these gifts, they can look more like perfectionism.

I also see this all the time with clients; the idea that our struggles and gifts are two sides of the same coin. One notable example is people who have the empath gift.

On the upside, these people were born with the ability to experience what life is like for another person. They make great mediators because they can see two sides of a story and can switch their point of view easily. They are the ones who are good at caring for and looking out for others. But they can sometimes have so much compassion and understanding that they might not always look out for their own interests sufficiently. Or they might be easy to exploit. They may fail to take care of themselves while taking care of everyone around them. Most often, they may feel like their sensitivity is a burden.

Another good example of this scenario is people who have a communication gift – they are great writers, speakers, and teachers and they have a lot of energy at the throat chakra that seeks expression in the person’s life.

The downside? They sometimes don’t shut up.  And they want an audience – no, need an audience!  If they don’t have one, they might treat you as their audience, even though you might not be as interested in their latest hobby horse. If they don’t express this big desire for self-expression in a way that honours what other people want to hear, they can feel frustrated and unappreciated. When they do have an outlet for this gift, they can blossom into incredible teachers, speakers and writers, fulfilling their soul gift of bringing new information and wisdom to others.

It can really help to know exactly what our strengths and weaknesses are on the soul level not only so we can know exactly what we can contribute to the world, but also where the ‘potholes’ are located on our path.

If you’re interested in finding out more about what the Akashic Records have to say about your soul-level strengths and life lessons, I offer Akashic Record Readings here.

I also train people in this system for reading a person’s soul gifts, trainings, archetypes and lessons.

Many people are familiar with systems such as astrology or numerology for gaining greater self-knowledge and reading who a person is on the soul level. But most have not heard of the system I teach for reading the soul through the Akashic Records, yet clients regularly tell me it is truly amazing in its accuracy and completeness. It’s one of the best kept secrets in this field.

To read more about the training, go here.

What is the link between your gifts and challenges?