When I was studying music, perfectionism was the air I breathed, a deeply ingrained cultural standard worked into the very structure of our education. There were winners, and there were losers. … A perfectionist never sees themselves as good enough, and I began to see myself as unworthy. ….When I am mindful, I try to perform with an attitude of kindness towards myself.

I know one thing for certain. The more I focus on my perfection, and the desire to be praised, the more worried I become. But the more I focus on loving my audience, and treating my performance as a precious gift I can give to them, the more I experience warm anticipation instead of fear.