“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” – Marilyn Monroe.
When you read for the first time, the quote above seems simple, yet true. And although it still may be true, the more times it is read, it becomes anything but simple.
Perfection is a standard. That’s all it is. It is not a destination. Don’t ever think that you will somehow, someway become perfect. Don’t let the idea enter your head that if you put in enough work and time, eventually, you will be perfect.
You’re just going to be chasing your tail. You’re going to be running yourself ragged. You’re going to burn out sooner rather than later. Despite all these, at the end of that journey, what do you have to show for? That’s right. A whole lot of nothing.
The truth is, you aren’t perfect, and you never will be. Regardless of how hard you try, how smart or good-looking you are, and how many advantages you start out with, it’s just not going to happen.
Nobody is perfect. It is not a destination. You can never reach it. Instead, it’s a standard. It’s supposed to be an impossible standard to push us to go for something better. It definitely is not something somebody can give you.
It’s one thing to be motivated. It’s another to become delusional and allow the idea of perfection to consume you. As the old saying goes, “To hit the Moon, you have to aim for the Sun.” Again, perfection is just a standard, not a destination nor a commodity.
All you have is who you are now and your standards
The only thing that you have is yourself now. Be clear on who you are. Be clear about your standards and the ideas inside your head.
If perfection is part of your standards, that’s okay. However, you should limit it to that role alone. It’s supposed to lift you up and inspire you. It’s supposed to make you push yourself to become better than what you normally settle for.
It is not supposed to beat you down, nor burn you up. Worst of all, it’s not supposed to make you a slave to other people’s expectations. The worst thing that you can do is to let people’s expectations of perfection for you become your identity.
I wish I could tell you that this is something that most people are conscious of. I wish this was something that you can easily identify and move away from. Unfortunately, it’s like a cancer. It grows on you.
Unless you are mindful of what you think about yourself and your place in the world, it creeps up on you. Sooner or later, perfection becomes part of your identity and it starts eating you up from the inside out.
Let go of all of that. You’re losing nothing when you do that. Instead, you’re gaining self-acceptance. Perfection can be toxic. If you hold it in your hands, you might think that you’re taking control over it. However, the more you press on it, the more it burns.
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” – Leonard Cohen
Part -1 Joy of Being Imperfect If you don’t accept yourself who will?
Part -2 Joy of Being Imperfect – Work on Self Respect which leads to Self-Love?”
Part-4 Joy of Being Imperfect – Bravely Acknowledging your Flaws
Part-5 Joy of Being Imperfect – Quit Apologizing for your Flaws
Part-6 Joy of Being Imperfect – Making your Flaws an Asset
Part-7 Finale Joy of Being Imperfect – Learning to Move on