"Progress, Not Perfection" is a good reminder in itself.
I think I lost track of that in the last few weeks.
When it comes to being afraid of being hurt, I can tell that I have that too. I have a hard time with criticism and also compliments. And as I was sitting here thinking, it dawned on me that I still carry around with me a notion that "people don't really care." That's something that alcohol took care of, I guess, since I thought it made me stronger and seemed to reassure me I didn't need others. Previous bad experiences with being hurt and settling for less than the ideal and then expecting better (and around and around again) are the backdrop for these negative notions I have to deal with.
Maybe I will see some improvements again if I put some more focus back into "progression, not perfection," since I seem to think I let myself forget about it.