Perfectly Imperfect

Just like my dad says, “At the end of the day, it’s all about looking in the mirror and liking what you see.”

Many of us tend to create our own interpretation behind the meaning of “perfection.” The majority of us walk around and glance at our surroundings and peers while picking out the “perfect” people in the distance.

But what I never realized is that we are looking at their “cover without a summary.” My therapist once told me something which inspired this topic choice. He said, “We create a summary in our heads of what we think another person’s life might be, but imagine if we actually got to know them and their story? Our perspective on them being “perfect” might just change.”

We scroll through various social media platforms every day and see a bunch of models, just wishing we could look like them. But we have to remember that those pictures are often created for entertainment. These models are captured in the perfect pose, perfect outfit, and perfect filter. We only see them at their best.

What I’ve learned is that you cannot measure someone’s success simply from the content they post on social media. That one picture that you see was captured during one happy second of their life. So what about the other seconds of their life? We don’t see the rest. We don’t see the painfully sad, raw moments, such as the loss of a family member or a breakup. My cousin made me aware of this recently and because of this, I am taking a social media break. Maybe it’s something you would benefit from trying too!

When we try to excel to the standards of being perfect, it can create a very harmful mentality and may ruin many opportunities for you if you don’t learn to overcome it. It is mentally and physically impossible to give 100% of yourself during every single moment of your life.

Always remember that you were born in this body. I grew up to be 6 feet tall, with big brown eyes and brown hair and sometimes I really wish I could swap those traits out for others, but it is about time we start appreciating ourselves by learning to love ourselves just the way we are.

Wherever your next phase of life might be, don’t waste your time trying to broadcast your life as picture perfect for Instagram and instead, try living in the moment/enjoying the present. Living and experiencing life can be as simple as trusting that you’re exactly where you need to be in life. Life isn’t a race and you are right on time. Cherish each moment as you’re in it.

Take the notion that you have to be or look a “certain way” in order to be relevant or important or loved and throw it out the window. Instead, take care of yourself, express yourself, do the things you love, and live life to the fullest. Remember, you are perfectly imperfect and special in your own way!