Perfectly Imperfect

Have you ever looked at someone in amazement at how they just seem to have it all. Everything is so put together. Their life, their career, their relationships, health, faith, children, and everything you seem to struggle with, they just seem to do with ease. The fact of the matter is, if you asked these people how they do it, they'll tell you that they don't.

I recently heard on the news that more Americans than ever are reporting feelings of loneliness. Yet, we are more connected with one another than we've ever been. There is a constant stream of smiling faces right at our fingertips. Perfect bodies, perfect lives and sheer happiness. We don't see the struggle of motherhood behind the smiling children, the overwhelming feelings of falling apart while trying to keep it all together. Late night homework, emotional support systems, maid, cook, lover, the list goes on and on, rushing through the day to have possibly two minutes to breathe. Worried our thighs are too big, our stomach has rolls, our faces are too wrinkled, you get the idea. What about the men who smile for the camera, all the while feeling so miserable that they self-sabotage everything good in their life. But we just keep scrolling, and trying to obtain what isn't real. We have become generations of facades, covered in filters that change what we hate about ourselves.

We have to begin to accept that while we can be organized, happy, healthy and strong, we aren't ever going to be perfect. It seems that people expect us to be sometimes. And sometimes there are those that believe they are haha! We are going to have struggles along the way. We have to accept our realities and begin to love what we have control over. You are the only you there is, so make sure you take care of your body and mind. Don't buy into the insane unrealistic expectations that can never be obtained. People can have a great career, a great life, and amazing bodies, but it's give and take. It's learning to love the imperfections of it all. You can choose to make the best of whatever is going on in your life. Often times we think we'll be happier when... but we have to choose to be happy now.

One of the biggest feats you'll face is forgiving those imperfections of others. The times they say things they shouldn't have said or do things they shouldn't have done. In those moments we have to learn to offer grace and accept that like you, they are not perfect. I always try to find the reasoning behind why someone acts the way they do. There are so many broken people walking around. The traumas that they've lived through, often times not dealt with, take over and they begin to spit the pain like venom on those around them. Obviously, we can only allow someone to treat us a certain way for so long, but we have to provide understanding. Help them find someone to talk to, help them understand they don't have to be perfect, but they are allowed to be happy.

You're going to feel like you're losing it sometimes and that's okay. We're all out here losing it. We're all out here speaking words that we can't take back, making choices that can't be reversed, yelling at our kids and then apologizing, picking ourselves apart and wearing ourselves thin. You're not alone my friend. Whether we see it or not, everyone has something they struggle with. Not one single person has a perfect life. We have to stop and remind ourselves of this from time to time or we will get lost in the self-doubt of not measuring up. You are enough and you're doing the best you can with what you have. Don't buy into the fake appearances and attitudes. Stop putting unrealistic expectations on those in your life and love their imperfections, this includes yourself. You are amazing. You are perfectly imperfect.