Why do we always feel the need to be perfect? Why do we need to feel like we have to have it together all of the time? Newsflash – we don’t. Want to know why? Because we’re just people. We’re not perfect. We have flaws. I have a nose that just won’t quit, and stretch marks on my body that I tried to hide for years. But you know what? I love them. They make me feel normal.
I’m not perfect. My body will never be perfect, my life will never be perfect, but if I’m happy, who says it has to be? In a society where people are constantly ridiculed for not looking like an Instagram model, or not having that high paying job, we should break-up with the idea of perfection. We can’t have it all, but that’s okay. We can still be happy, because our flaws make us who we are. It’s time for us to accept and love them. So, in honour of loving the way you are, here are five ways to break up with the idea of perfection.
Acknowledge the fact that things won’t always be perfect
Understand that you won’t be in control of everything that happens to you. This is hard for me because I can’t wrap my head around the idea that things happen and there isn’t anything I can do to change them. But I’ve learned that when you acknowledge that you might not know it all, or that you might not be able to control what happens, you will feel at peace.
Stop overwhelming yourself
You have to stop putting so much stress on yourself to be perfect. Overwhelming yourself is just a cycle that ends in negativity and self-hatred. Stop stressing over things that aren’t important to you or your overall well-being. Don’t give attention to the things that you cannot fix, or the things that make you feel bad about yourself. Do things that make you feel good, not defeated.
Give yourself a break
Take time for yourself. Whether that means giving yourself an hour after work to have some ‘me’ time or treating yourself to a nice meal. Give yourself a break because you deserve it. Work hard and love yourself.
Once you break-up with the idea of perfection, you will feel so much better – not just about yourself, but about your surroundings as well. When I realised this, I felt empowered. I always felt like I was the only one struggling. The only one that didn’t have it together. As it turns out, that is absolutely not the case. So many of us are struggling and just trying to get by, but for some reason, we think that we’re on our own. We have to know that nobody is perfect, and neither are we. I guess that’s what makes us perfect in our own way. We’re not the same, we will never reach perfection, we will never be the best, but we will be happy with ourselves and our lives, and that’s all that matters.
