Diseas called "perfection."

July 7, 2013

(note: I had posted this on my other blog yesterday, but I would like to share it again here)

As I was blog stalking today (because honestly, that's something I do regularly), I came across a post on www.ryleeblake.blogspot.com. This woman had written a paper for a class about the effects of photoshop on society today, and that led to an article called "The Disease Called 'Perfection.'" As I read it, it almost make me cry. I believe that perfection is a real disease, something that we all face. We all want to appear perfectly put together all the time. We never want to appear stupid or dumb. We think we have to be this cool life professional (if there is anyone that is a professional at life), always knowing exactly what's going on, knowing exactly what to say, knowing exactly what to do, knowing everything.

But guess what? We don't.

We don't have to look perfect all the time. We don't have to have the perfect words come out of our mouths. We don't have to fit that picture perfect image put out by society. It isn't something we are capable of doing.

We all struggle. We all cry. We all go through hard times. We all question. We all lose our temper. Sometimes we don't know what to say.

Reading this article made me realize that not always knowing what to say is okay. It's okay that I trip over my words. It's okay that I feel awkward around people and worry about what to say and how to say it.  

It's okay.

We live in a society where perfection seems to be what is expected. But we are not perfect. Only our Savior and His Father are perfect. Perfection is something that we are striving towards. That's just it. Perfection is what we are striving towards. We have bad days. Our hair doesn't always look like we just walked right out of a photoshoot. We lose our tempers. We spill things on our clothes. We color outside of the lines and accidentally say things we don't mean and mess up when we drive. We make stupid mistakes because we are human.

One of my favorite quotes from this article says,
"The cure is so simple.
Be real.
Be bold about your weaknesses and you will change people’s lives. Be honest about who you actually are, and others will begin to be their actual selves around you. Once you cure yourself of the disease, others will come to you, asking if they can just “talk.” People are desperate to talk. Some of the most “perfect” people around you will tell you of some of the greatest struggles going on. Some of the most “perfect” people around you will break down in tears as they tell you how difficult life is for them. Turns out some of the most “perfect” people around us are human beings after all, and are dying to talk to another human being about it.
You’ll love them for it. And you’ll love yourself even more.
Let’s not forget this quote: “I went out to find a friend and could not find one there. I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.” Somebody who is being a friend doesn’t spread “Perfection”. Somebody who is being a friend spreads “Real”. Then, and only then, can we all grow together."

That absolutely gorgeous girl that you see, that's always dressed perfectly from her head to her toes? She has bad hair days. That guy that everyone wants to be friends with? He loses his temper occasionally. The girl with the model figure? She worries that she is fat and obsesses over it constantly. No one is perfect, and we don't have to be.

So cut yourself some slack. Live in your own skin. Be who you really are. People often say, "I wish I had the life of so and so," or "I would love to have her life" etc. Something I've realized though?

I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's.

Sure, my life is hard. I have plenty of bad hair days, and you DO NOT want to smell my breath when I wake up, or be around me when I am in a bad mood. I struggle just like the next girl. I have insecurities. But I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. The things I am experiencing were meant just for me, to make me who I am supposed to be. I even think that part of the reason we have certain challenges is for us to help someone going through something similar. I have seen that a few times in my life.

Let's be the cure to the disease called "perfection." And how do we do that?

BE REAL. 

If you want to read the original blog post I found, click here.
If you want to read the article titled "The Disease Called 'Perfection'" click here.
Have a good week!