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Her money comes to you through PRX. Hi I'm Jean Chatsky and welcome to her money as we head into the final moments. I can't believe I just said that, but the final moments of 2016 and you are reflecting on another year that's come and gone. I want you to think about something. I want you to think

about this question. Did you spend too much time trying to be perfect? Trying to be

the perfect mom or spouse, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect employee,

the perfect boss.

It's a question inspired by today's guest, Shauna Nyquist, who is the New York Times best-selling

author of Present Over Perfect as well as a number of other books. Her most recent

collection of essays, Present Over perfect. It focuses on the journey from living a busy, frantic, disconnected life to a simpler one, a simpler life filled with rest and grace and connection.

I'll bring her in in just a second.

She is on the phone with us from Illinois, but let me just read you a short passage from her book and this really spoke to me.

The phrase present over perfect was one I first held tightly to a few Christmases ago. I remember the moment. The table was a train wreck of

wrapping paper and unfolded laundry, half-eaten cookies. My mind was running with all the remaining tasks that needed to be done

gifts bought, cards addressed, bags packed, deadlines reached, to put it plainly my desire

for a beautiful sparkly Christmas moment was edging out my ability to live well in my own actual life

And I recognize this feeling as one I grappled with all my life.

I want things to be spectacular, epic, over-the-top, exciting and dramatic.

But in order to force that beauty and drama into otherwise ordinary moments,

you have to push and tap dance and hustle, hustle, hustle.

I was faced with a dilemma one so many of us face quite often. I could either wrestle

my life and my kids and my house and our Christmas into something fantastic, something

...