Embracing Your Imperfect Self

When we are afraid of not being perfect, we often…

…are afraid to fail

…don’t always try new things (because we may suck at it)

…hide our bodies

…mask our true feelings

…stay where we are–even if it isn’t working

…say yes when we want to say no

…can be afraid to move outside the “safety” of our comfort zone

Striving to be perfect as a mom, a wife, a friend, in your job, with your food, in your body--it’s a lonely road.

I know–I’ve spent years there.

We think everyone else has it altogether, so we should too. 

The last few months, I’ve been learning how to make inspirational wooden signs.

The first one was awesome. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th… they all sucked.

I actually was going to give up.

I wanted them to be perfect (like the ones I always see online!)

Then I remembered my favorite motto: pretty good is perfect.

What if we could adopt this as a view of how we live?

Can we see that there is joy in learning, in “failing”, in taking risks, in speaking your truth, in feeding your child Cheez-its instead of homemade organic crackers? 

Can we view imperfection as a means of strength–as a way to connect to each other, as a way to be vulnerable?

This doesn’t mean we don’t have any fear.

I am still afraid to “fail”.

I’ve been in business for 7 years and still am afraid of being a failure.

I still get self-conscious sometimes and want to hide my body (in the burlesque class I’m doing which is teaching me so much about body confidence!)

We will have fear because we’re human.

It’s not that we try to make the fear go away; we learn to dance with it instead. 

I have fear every time I offer or “sell” something in my business. What if no one joins? 

I am afraid to show up at dance class. What if I suck?

There is fear around exploring moving outside of Colorado. What if we regret it? 

But what if we allowed for this fear, danced with it and embraced our imperfect selves anyway?

Can we see that showing up like that IS what makes us relatable humans? 

So go do that thing you’ve been wanting to try.

Eat that dessert for lunch that you “shouldn’t” have.

Say no to a family obligation.

Express something you’ve always wanted to say.

Wear that outfit that DOESN’T hide your body–even if you think you can’t.

See where you can embrace your imperfectly perfect self.

And let me know how it goes 🙂