Embracing Your Imperfections

Do you strive for perfection?

Do you wait to take action until you’re assured that all of your ‘ducks are in a row’ and everything is perfect? That used to be me.

In those days, my sense of self-worth came from what other people thought of me. So, I was very careful to always ‘appear’ to be perfect. I didn’t speak up unless I knew I had the correct answer. And I rarely asked questions, because I didn’t want anyone else to think I didn’t know things.

I even had a gold necklace that I wore that had the word PERFECT spelled out on it, however the letter “T” at the end was off kilter (clearly meaning not perfect). That necklace got a lot of comments and it pushed people’s buttons for sure.

At the time I was wearing it, I was trying to break free from my perfectionism and poking fun at myself. But others didn’t see it that way. They must not have noticed the last letter was a bit crooked, so when others would read what my necklace said, you’d be surprised at how many people said, “You’re not perfect” or “Nobody’s perfect.” Or maybe you wouldn’t be surprised. And it helped me fast-track my way into not being so concerned about what other people thought of me.

And yet, you’ll often see me write about the idea that you’re not broken and you don’t need to be fixed. I’ll talk about, teach about, and write about how we all have the perfection of the Divine within us. That means we are ‘Divinely Perfect’ and I strive to nurture that idea within myself and my clients so that we’re not chasing some misguided ideal of someone’s made-up idea of what perfection looks like (cuz it looks like you and me).

Here are some cool quotes about perfection:

You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don't have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success - none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here. ~ Ram Dass

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. ~ Vince Lombardi

Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it. ~ Salvadore Dali

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This is the very perfection of man, to find out his own imperfections. ~ Saint Augustine

Who had decided that your imperfections are, in fact, imperfections?

 But I don’t want to get too philosophical here. I can talk about this stuff for hours! I like to encourage myself to not only embrace my imperfections, but to make friend with them, too. This has been one of the biggest advances I’ve made in showing up authentically, not hiding, and living my aligned life in a greater way.

Why Embrace Your Imperfections?

Simple answer: it could be getting in the way of a happy, fulfilled life.

So many of us fight against our flaws and harshly criticize ourselves for not being perfect. There is a lot of pressure in society today to be a perfect person. Unfortunately, this just isn’t possible so many of us end up feeling like a failure or develop feelings of self-hatred (that was me for sure!)

If you want to learn to love yourself, embracing your imperfections has some wonderful benefits.

Your Positive Imperfections

When you start to embrace your imperfections, you’ll start to see them more positively. Believe it or not, there are some positives to imperfections. For example, if you suffer with anxiety, you may beat yourself up for not being able to do certain things that come easy to others. However, a positive of anxiety is that it often makes you more empathetic. That’s a great trait to have in an often-cruel world.

Flaws are also considered more attractive than you might realize. So, start to look for the positives in your flaws and realize that everyone has them.

Feel Free

When you’re so caught up on your imperfections, it can make you feel trapped under constant pressure. By embracing them, it helps to set you free. Nothing is more freeing than living your life without the constant weight of your own expectations. Once you accept your flaws, you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted.

Focus on Who You Are

When you’re so focused on your imperfections, it can stop you from being who you truly are. It causes you to chase an ideal that you aren’t ever going to live up to. However, when you let go of your imperfections, your authentic self will start to shine through. So, if you feel like you have lost who you wanted to be, start letting go of your need to be perfect.

Living Healthier

Living your life constantly focused on your imperfections isn’t healthy. It negatively impacts your perspective on things, causing you to make choices you wouldn’t necessarily make if you weren’t so caught up on your flaws.

These are just some of the reasons why it’s a good idea to learn to embrace your flaws. It takes some practice to be able to think more positively about your perceived imperfections. You are capable, you are lovable, and you are awesome. And you are worth the effort it will take to rejoice in your imperfections.

Say “YES” to yourself and claim your imperfections!

Meet Janet

Hi, I’m Janet Kingsley and for nearly two decades, I’ve been guiding women back home to themselves – to self-love, self-value, and self-respect. I offer ideas and tools to support you in making a major transformation that will help you discover what’s really valuable in life and how to live in alignment with your true essence.

Bottom Line: I help you find what’s missing so you can reclaim your own value and worth in order to live your aligned life. I’m here to remind you that you’re the one you’ve always been waiting for and help you uncover the precious gem that you are.