Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. –Marilyn Monroe
It is our imperfections that make us perfect and unique, but for us to revel in the real beauty that they are, we must accept and embrace that which we consider imperfect about ourselves. Last night, in conversation with a friend, I realized that one of my great imperfections lies in the acceptance that I am human and that I don’t possess the unfailing, machine-like will-power to drive me through life as I imagine that I do. This week has been a week of physical exhaustion; a week where my body has not responded well to the workout demands that I have placed upon it and where my intrinsic, goal-driven motivation seems to have momentarily dissipated, leaving me to feel a bit lost and unfamiliar with myself. While my instinct tells me to expect more of myself this week, the reality is that some weeks we must simply expect something different of ourselves, even if we aren’t sure of who we even are that week. It’s okay to be tired; fatigue doesn’t mean you aren’t strong. It’s okay feel off-track for a few days and to not be sure what your goal or purpose is; it doesn’t mean that you aren’t searching and that you won’t find it. And, finally, it’s okay and actually essential to love yourself during the times when you don’t feel fully yourself; it means that you accept some of the imperfection perfections of your human limitations.
The more we love ourselves through our imperfections and through the times when we feel a bit “off” from ourselves, the sooner we will come to embrace our ridiculous imperfections as a beautiful constant in our lives. Be okay with your imperfect beauty and your imperfect story because being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect, rather, happiness means that you are able to look past the imperfections in your life.