The Gifts of Imperfection

Lesson 1. Being authentic is a brave decision and requires constant compassion and courage.

People would always prefer to live a life that is authentic. Being authentic means being true to yourself. Unfortunately, authenticity is very rare these days. There are many factors that contribute to this problem. For instance: stage fear, lack of self-confidence, and peer pressure, to name a few. Due to this, most people feel inauthentic or fake, but this is not the truth.

Being authentic cannot be considered as a quality. Authenticity is actually a choice, or a decision we make, and that choice defines us as an individual. Everyday, we have to make a choice to be true and accept our flaws. Since it is totally our call, we can decide which situations require us to be authentic. We should not care what other people think about us.

If you choose to be authentic or true, you will require compassion and a lot of courage. Saying what you feel and allowing yourself to be vulnerable is a tough task, a task that requires courage and constant practice. Try being true to yourself, don’t hide your emotions and feelings. When you start understanding and acknowledging your own struggles, you’ll find it easier to sympathize and relate to other people as well.

Lesson 2. Perfectionism is just a futile attempt to hide the fear of shame.

Perfectionism might sound like a positive trait, but it is not ideal. One should not pursue it. It is not related to self-improvement and is used to hide the fear of shame. Perfectionism, in its true sense, means believing that, if we look, live, and act perfectly, then others will appreciate us more and we’ll be able to avoid criticism and judgment. 

However, this kind of lifestyle is actually very unhealthy and emotionally draining. It forces us to question our self-worth and seek approval from others. If an individual carries on this path, it can turn self-destructive as well. But people with this mindset don’t actually recognize these warning signs. Instead, they blame themselves for every problem and push themselves too hard to achieve perfection.

Thankfully, we can avoid developing such a mindset by just being true to ourselves, and by not allowing other people to dictate how we live our life. Believing in yourself and doing what you desire will help you feel better and more motivated. This will also ensure that you are