The Perfection of Imperfection
(Um, what?)
There's no wise man without fault.
(Ok….)
It's an old Irish proverb, written in Gaelic. Even the wisest among us have their faults. So, if even wise men have fault, how can we be faultless when the wisest among us have faults? It's not our fault!
(I, um, what?!?!?)
Basically, nobody is perfect. No one. Not one single person. Not even Olivia Wilde. *sigh* Olivia Wilde…. [descends into daydream]
(*ahem*)
Sorry. No, nobody is perfect. Perfection is an unreachable, unattainable, unrealistic goal, yet too often we strive to achieve a level of perfection we simply cannot attain. The end result frequently sends us into fits of disappointment, self-loathing, and the occasional devouring of an entire box of thin mints.
(I have never done that… *looks down and away with guilt*)
Me neither. *whistling* Anyway, why do we always try to be so perfect when we're so perfectly awesome just the way we are? I can only answer for me, and that answer is…women.
(Wow….)
I'm KIDDING. I've written recently about being happy, with yourself, in your own skin. I think a big part of that is being satisfied with yourself. You don't have to be perfect. Can you be better than what you are? Again, I can only speak for myself in saying "yes."
Ever get to a point in your life when you look in the mirror and thing "holy sh*t, when did I get so fat?" That was me, not too long ago. Granted, I wasn't really that fat, but I was definitely heavier than I wanted to be. All because I was lazy.
(Um, all those donuts and chicken wings might have had something to do with it, too. Just sayin'.)
Yeah well, I can't deny that. But for the last several weeks I have changed my diet, eaten healthier, and *GASP* have been going to the gym regularly.
(Get the flock outta here!)
True story. And when I say gym, I mean it – where you pay membership dues and have to leave your house to get there and everything. Now that I'm doing it regularly I question why I was so reluctant to do it before. I found the answer – I was afraid. I was fearful I wouldn't be strong enough, thin enough, fit enough, and that people would make fun of me.
Ní bhíonn saoi gan locht.
The truth is that each one of us that goes to the gym is in the same proverbial boat - none of us are perfect. We are all there for a reason. Whether it's rehabilitation, on doctor's orders, or, in my case, not to be perfect but just a little better than I am, we are all there in our lack of perfectnessicity.
(You're making words up again.)
I know. I don't care. Be quiet. It helps to make the point.
(Which is….)
It's ok to not be perfect. It's ok to have fault. At the same time, it's ok to want to be a little better. So go ahead and try. Even if you can't reach your goals, you are not a failure. Embrace the fact you have faults, whether physical, emotional or otherwise. They are what make us who we are. If you're not happy, go ahead and work on it. But whatever you choose to do about your faults, they do not define you. If you take nothing else from this, take that.
(That, and the fact that you make up words….)
*sigh* why do I keep you around?
(Because I represent your readers' thoughts and it helps you to get your point across more clearly?)
I… dammit. Yes, that is the primary reason.
(That, and I'm in your head. It's kind of dark in here, by the way. )
There's a little more light these days, but there are still some pretty dark corners in there. I can't always be happy and "on." I'm not perfect, after all.
(Well played.)
I know.
© J.J. Goodman 2014. All rights reserved.