The Perfection of Imperfection

Do you accept yourself fully? 

Do you value yourself and all the unique beauty you bring to this world?

Do you feel worthy of abundance, love, respect and a healthy work-life balance?

A strong sense of self-worth is essential to abundance and prosperity. This is true for the simple reason that you can never create that which you cannot give to yourself. 

And yet despite its great importance, true self-worth is way too often a rare thing. 

One of the barriers to self-worth is our belief that we have to be ‘perfect’ to merit it.

Perfectionism is ingrained in our society, taught to us from a young age by our parents or teachers. The quest for perfection encourages low self-esteem because no one can attain the unattainable. 

Perhaps, instead of entering a never-ending, never-gratifying circle of perfectionism, we need to take a lesson from nature itself.

Nature teaches us that perfection is an illusion.

As Alice Walker so rightly observed. “In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”

A tree doesn’t stand perfectly straight, a flower isn’t always symmetrical, a body of water isn’t an ideal circle.

How can we expect to be perfect when we, too, come from the natural world?

We need to embrace the perfection of imperfection. 

The Japanese have a beautiful expression ‘wabi sabi’ which literally means finding beauty in imperfection.

We too need to accept the fact that, like the trees, we are imperfectly perfect but still infinitely beautiful. 

Once we do that, we open the door to an enduring sense of self-worth. 

Here are some things to think about as you seek to bolster your sense of self-worth:

  • Remember that no one feels good all the time. Our level of self-worth fluctuates throughout our lives. 

  • Reevaluate the belief that everyone else knows what they are doing. They don’t. Everyone has the same worries and insecurities as you do-it’s truly the human condition. 

  • Recognize the upside of insecurity and self-doubt. A certain amount of fear and hesitation is healthy because it enhances self-awareness, fosters empathy, and promotes personal growth. 

  • Reject the idea that ‘net worth’ equals self-worth. Instead, attract true prosperity by being a complete, authentic version of you!

  • Rejoice in your quirks and flaws-the unique blend of dark and light that makes you—you! 

If you would like to take a journey towards true self-worth, I can help. If you would like to chat about the possibilities, you can organize a call with me here.

ImpactUrsula Pottinga