Why You’re Not Perfect As You Are

What a beautiful sentiment. Or is it? This meme is floating around the internet encouraging a toxic idea. See, none of us are perfect as we are. I know this is trying to promote the idea of self-acceptance. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, because we all know one thing very well.

Not a single one of us is perfect as we are. No one on Earth can make that claim. Now, I’m a perfectionist, sometimes adaptive, sometimes maladaptive, and I know what it feels like to want to be perfect. It’s rough sometimes. It’s this gnawing sense that you’ve done everything wrong.

Which is why using this affirmation is a terrible idea to promote self-acceptance.  In order to truly accept yourself, you must accept the good, the bad, and the oh-so-very ugly. (And yes, everyone has good, bad, and ugly.) That’s step one. Step two is working to better yourself, inside and out. It was tough, admitting I’m a work-in-progress, but I did it, and now I’m working towards a better me. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.