Drop The Need To Look Perfect
Learn to Embrace Your Flaws
I know what it is like to feel inadequate and unworthy. I have had days when things get to me.
Sometimes we crave validation and want to appear perfect. It is human nature. It is the reason people live fake lives on social media.
You do not have to care what people think. You have to drop the desire to appear perfect.
A Basic Definition of Perfection
The process of improving something until it is faultless.
Trying to make something flawless is not a bad thing. But sometimes, you are too hard on yourself, leading to negative self-talk.
Imagine if you had everything you ever wanted. The perfect job, partner and lifestyle. It looks good, but you know how unrealistic it is if you don’t work to get them.
You are scrolling through Instagram and see a nice post, a couple with banging bodies in a Ferrari.
You start to worry about your body and how you won’t find a partner because you are out of shape. The negative self-talk begins.
You scroll further and find a content creator. They post a video of their work, and then you think, “my work is shit”, more negative self-talk.
I could go on and on, but you catch the drift.
Why worry about how you’re not perfect when you can work towards perfection?
Own Your Flaws
The first step to working on your imperfections is to recognize that you have flaws.
It could be character flaws or areas of your craft that need improvement. Whatever it is, you know it.
Accept them and work on them.
Nobody wants to feel inadequate. No matter what you do, people would talk.
Someone would have one or two things to say about you or your work.
Rather than compare yourself with people, work on areas that need improvements.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Spend less time scrolling through social media and more time working on your skills.
- Learn something new every day, especially something you are curious about.
- Make Google your best friend, and spend time searching for how to improve yourself as a person.
There is a concept in Japanese philosophy known as “Wabi Sabi”.
Wabi Sabi is the act of seeing the beauty in imperfection. You find a balance between perfection and imperfection.
Owning your flaws means recognizing your imperfections. You are human, and humans are not flawless.
Writing this article, the thoughts of perfecting it came to mind, to perfect every aspect of it. Along the line, I realized it does not have to cover every aspect.
I write this because I have a message for you to stop putting pressure on yourself to appear perfect.
Owning your flaws would make you recognize aspects of your life that need work.
Another person’s bikini body or six packs does not make you less valuable.
Take This With You
You know apples are not the same size. You also know “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Daily action keeps the desire to “appear perfect” away.
You arrive at perfection by recognizing your imperfections and working on them.
You know you are not perfect, so take action daily to improve yourself.
Remember Wabi Sabi. The beauty of life lies between the balance of imperfection and perfection.
Drop the weight of trying to appear perfect and embrace your flaws.
“Too late, I found you can’t wait to become perfect, you got to go out and fall and get up with everybody else.”
― Ray Bradbury
