Nobody is perfect! It is unnecessary to strive to become one. I am not denying putting efforts to become exceptional but simply aiming for perfection and not accepting your flaws isn’t a sweet deal. It stresses you, gives others power over you , and impacts your life negatively. It is great to accept your imperfections if you wish to become a better version of yourself. Also, it is easier to mend yourself than completely change your personality to someone you are not. Imperfections are no curse that needs elimination, rather they need to be embraced. It is human to err and imperfections are proof of that.
“Your desire for perfection is the cause of anger. Leave room for imperfection. Perfection in action is almost impossible.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
How can you Embrace Your Imperfections?
1. Accept Your Flaws
Your flaws aren’t entirely negative, they open up to depict some positivity about you. Let’s say you find procrastination as your biggest flaw but it also gives you enough time to reciprocate the idea behind doing work.
The extra time mentally prepares you to do that task well. Hence if you accept that flaw, you can make use of it and enhance your performance. But if you hate yourself for procrastinating or simply deny that you even have a flaw, things will not work in your favor.
“Acceptance does not mean inaction; acceptance is actually acknowledging the present situation.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
2. Know your Competitor
Who are you comparing yourself to every day? Understand that it is you with whom you will spend your maximum time in life. Your skills and company will help you move ahead in life and give you experiences. But, you must not compare yourself with anyone else, rather be your competition as well as your cheerleader. Embrace your imperfections and make progress in life without restricting your belief as per conventions set by someone else.
“Leave a little room for imperfections. Imperfections exist at three levels, physical, mental, and emotional, i.e body, thought, and emotions. If you don’t accept the imperfections on the physical level, you become more and more imperfect on the mental and emotional level.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
3. Have a Self-Talk Session
It is quite crucial to keep some time off your schedule to connect with yourself. People self-talk in different manners; some practice mindfulness and meditation whereas others prefer writing journals. Understanding the self, knowing your thoughts and feelings provides you the opportunity to recognize your flaws and their causes. You can work on yourself way better when you know what’s the actual problem.
4. Move On
It is more important to dust yourself off after a fall, put in your efforts to a failed task and move on rather than sulking over your flaws. Your flaws are what make you who you are, they give you the experience and learning in life to become a better person. Embrace your flaws and set realistic goals for yourself. Go with the flow but love your quirks because they add the perfect balance to your life. It gets too boring and stressful for people who try to perfect every aspect of life.
“Acceptance of a little bit of imperfection on the periphery allows you to be more patient, calmer and ensures that you at least maintain inner perfection.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
5. Look who’s a Friend
In life, stick with people who are your true friends i.e who support you and do not try to change you. Because the people close to you can impact your thoughts and make you believe in things you never believed. Make friends with like-minded and positive people who uplift you, accept you as you are , and help you to overcome your fears. Many influencers normalize living with flaws and document them. Find your inspiration from them and aim for improvements rather than perfection.
6. Help Others
Once you crack the code to happiness (by accepting your flaws), encourage others to do the same. As you keep moving on and scoring your goals by embracing your imperfections, you inspire others and show them that everything is possible. It eventually leads to a healthy society who do not limit themselves and others or feel undermined by their flaws.
7. Revisit Life’s Purpose
We all have our goals and purpose in life that drive us towards our destination. Revisiting the purpose will remind you that you don’t have to be perfect or follow others. You only have to have the right intention, accept yourself with all qualities and flaws, and transform your negatives into positives. Put in your best effort.
8. Never Generalize your Behavior
If you pull yourself down, you allow others to do the same. Always analyze your behavior based on the context. For example, You trusted someone and they didn’t turn out to be nice. That doesn’t mean you are wrong in judging people. Never generalize the response to an instance as your weakness/imperfection. Sometimes things happen and you learn from your mistakes. Take the lesson and move on.
“There is no use getting angry at something that has already happened. All you can do is your best to check it doesn’t happen again.
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
9. Don’t be too Stiff
To embrace your imperfections, you should not be too tough on yourself. Instead of pressurizing yourself, learn to read the actual issue. For example, You have a habit of criticizing others for wrong presentations. Instead of thinking that I have to stop this habit altogether, say I will try to suggest some solutions when I find something incompetent in the presentation. That way you embrace your imperfections while making efforts to improve yourself.
Fall in Love With Yourself
We easily fall in love with others and accept societal norms as the standard for everything. How we should look, behave, talk, or become is influenced by everyone around us! But the truth is your life is precious and you are a unique creation. So be it your color, looks, habits, character, or physical/emotional appearance, never stop falling in love with yourself. Because when you do that, you become the torch bearer of acceptance for generations to follow. Meditation calms you and brings the focus on your self-improvement while embracing your imperfections.
Frequently Asked Questions on Embracing Flaws
Every person is different and has different ideals in life. Some people are very critical about their accomplishments and failures and transform themselves whereas others hate themselves for their flaws. Embracing your flaws brings positivity to you and helps you deal with your flaws rationally.
A shortcoming or a flaw is imperfection. Here are some examples:
i)Stretch marks, moles, scars on your body
ii)Hypersensitivity, emotional imbalance as your nature
iii)Speaking too fast or too slow or stammering
