What Does it Mean to be Imperfect? Proud2Bme Bloggers Weigh In

I’m reminded frequently (mostly by my therapist) that celebrating my imperfections and the willingness to admit imperfection is a liberating process. I’ve found it to be helpful in my life to accept that I am not a robot—I’m not programmed for perfection. But imperfection has also become a buzzword, a word attached to phrases that encourage us to let go of the idea that we can achieve perfection, let alone the idea that perfection actually exists. The phrase may feel empty at times. I find myself thinking, “Yes, I know I need to accept my imperfections... but what does that mean in my daily life?” I turned to others to see what they think. Check out what some of our writers had to say about what imperfection means to them.

Kaitlin Irwin: “I like to reflect on all of the diversity that can be found in our world population. Think about it! Nobody else has your facial features, your exact skin tone, or that weird tic that you get when you’re nervous. Work it! Just in our day-to-day lives, we can be reminded of how unique we are. That doesn’t mean that one of us has more worth than another; it means that we were all carefully crafted to be just the way we are. There is nothing to ‘fix.’ We’re not broken toys, we’re human beings. So be!”

Katrin Alyss: “Society wants us to think we need perfect bodies, perfect families and perfect careers. It is so liberating when we say, ‘that is enough!’ That it is okay to go without makeup or without the matched outfit. We have so much to offer this world and we can do it in an imperfect way and still love ourselves. We can also learn from each other how to be perfectly imperfect!”

Annabelle Edge: “The next time you see yourself in a mirror or you make a mistake, don’t beat yourself up. Say something nice to yourself, learn from things. Teach yourself new pieces of information every day. Embrace cultures, uniqueness. Don’t bully anyone for being imperfect—and that includes you. We are all imperfect—and we excel at it.”

Kira Rakova: “Imperfections are a great reminder for me to practice better self-care. Lately, when I have been catching myself self-criticizing, I have been taking a step back and figuring out what I need. Why do I feel the way I do? Is this really something worth stressing over? If I had an unproductive day, how can I help myself feel more relaxed about my workload? If I made a mistake, how can I gently forgive myself? No matter the circumstances or my faults or imperfections, I have to take care of myself.”

Sarah Haviland: “Perfection is not an attainable goal; to be fallible and flawed is to be human. I want to be able to embrace myself as a person who maybe has some qualities that she would rather live without, but is full of virtues that she may not even be able to see, as the greatest imperfection of all is to not like oneself.”

Jeanette Suros: “We come to learn that being imperfect is actually a beautiful thing. By allowing your authentic, perfectly imperfect self to come out, you are helping others see that it is okay to be imperfect. It took me a while to realize that being imperfect is beauty in itself and freedom. It brings us to our authentic selves. Know that it is possible to live a life free from perfection and more authentic knowing we are only human, learning and growing each and every day.”