I'm sure you've heard, "Practice makes perfect." The updated version is, "Practice makes better."
Take it from a Virgo girl with a touch of OCD... there is no perfect, so let that go. It is the imperfections that create the beauty. Truly. I have this one cat, Madalign, she's adorable.. and one of my favorite things about her little face is how asymmetrical the coloring is. She looks so quirky, so cute <3
Our imperfections also connect us to one another.... imagine meeting a stranger on a bus...do you think you'd feel more connected to them if you discovered you both got straight A's throughout school or if you both have a bad habit of munching too much at night?
The fact is, our weaknesses & imperfections, create our vulnerability. As the well-known writer & speaker, Brene Brown, has made clear in her work, our vulnerability is what opens hearts & allows for intimacy.
"Imperfections are not inadequacies; they're reminders that we're all in this together." - Brene Brown
My point here is this...the Well Adjusted Life, among countless other self-help/wellness programs out there, is designed to improve various areas of your life & health that are holding you back from living your best life. However, on the journey towards our greatest selves & lives (which really is never over), it is key to...
Remember that right now in this moment, we are spectacular & miraculous
(but certainly not perfect).
This is all really a psychological experiment... I began this reflection while setting my New Year's resolutions this year. I wrote out a nice list of all the many ways I could & should improve, in areas of health, finance, organization, productivity, etc. The beautiful part about journaling is when the mind starts to wander. Usually I'll sit down to write with an intention, and then something I did not foresee winds up pouring onto the page... so in this case, once I emptied my mind of all the ways I could be better, my brain asked "well, what's not wrong now?" A wonderful question :) I began thinking of how lucky I was to be writing from inside my warm, cozy NYC apartment. As a young kid, I used to think how cool it would be to live in the city, but that it'd be way too expensive to afford it. Yet here I am, 28 years old, with an amazing, well-paying job that allows me to live here & do what I love - help people with my hands and mind. I am not quite at my optimal health, but I am generally healthy and so grateful that I was born in good health, with two eyes that see clearly, all my fingers & toes, two strong legs & feet that carry my body & soul wherever we need to go... I began thinking of my relationships - family, friends, boyfriend, cats... how much they enrich & enliven my life... then grateful thoughts surfaced about the time & age I get to live in... a time of information, access, growing consciousness & technology that expands our creative ideas & abilities. It's all just really cool, and when I allow my attention to rest there, my once negative emotions transform to positive. I feel joy & peace where there was lack & insufficiency. So whether I achieve my resolutions or not, I know it's really all good & most importantly, I am ALLOWED to be happy where I am. Does this mean I give up? Do we need pain to drive us towards our goals? Maybe, but I'd rather try it this way. I just have a feeling that by being more compassionate & loving & grateful toward myself, as a natural byproduct, I will act better toward myself & others.
We must be grateful in order to be GREATful! :)
My point: as we embark on (& throughout) our self-improvement/growth journey, practice looking around at the life currently surrounding you, and search for all the things going right. When we focus on our strengths, rather than shortcomings, we amp up the power driving us in the direction of our dreams. It's a lot more joyful along the way when we practice looking at the bright side & finding those silver linings... Have fun everyone :)