Accepting your “Imperfections”

Photography by Photos by Hiedi

I’m not afraid of being imperfect anymore.

These were the exact words I told myself this past week.

I have always been that person who criticizes herself inside and out. Dealing with imperfections is an everyday battle. How do I look in photos? How do I look in real life? Which angle looks best? I don’t like my hair here. This isn’t my best smile. My legs look short here.

My insecurities are not always visible because social media allows us to “hide” our flaws. Our imperfections. It allows us to hide and “fix” what we believe is not good enough. We allow society to dictate how we should look, how we should act, and to be honest? It’s exhausting.

It is exhausting to have to always live up to society’s expectations.

It is exhausting to have to smile like everything is okay when really, it’s not okay.

It is exhausting to have to act like we like certain things or do certain things because that’s what all women do. Or that’s what all men do.

It is exhausting to have to please others all the time.

It is exhausting to have to please ourselves all the time.

Our mentality that our “imperfections” hold us back from our true potential is where we are hurting ourselves. Our imperfections make us human. Our imperfections allows us to bond with others struggling with similar situations because it is perfectly normal to struggle.

I have dealt with unhealthy eating habits for nearly eight years. Secretly, where I believed it was a burden to tell anyone else. I would rather let this burden destroy me than destroy the people whom I loved. And that’s what it did.

But that’s not living.

Trying to please myself, be a certain size or a number on the scale, act a certain way, friend certain people because they will help boost my ‘status,’ or make decisions based on what people around me believe is ‘the right decision’ is not living. It’s living for others.

There is no end to it. You’ll never be satisfied. You’ll always want more.

Perfection is a false reality we create in our minds to accept that we are “good enough.”

When really “good enough,” is being honest with ourselves. “Good enough” is admitting when we are wrong. “Good enough” is allowing others to see our imperfections so we can inspire them too. “Good enough” is accepting that we won’t always look our best every single day.

If we don’t have any flaws or imperfections, how can we continue bettering ourselves?

How do you deal with your “imperfections?” Do you feel pressure from society or yourself to look and behave a certain way?