Perfectly Imperfect

We’re going on month three of my blogging journey and I am truly happy I finally took the leap and started sharing more. This has been on my to-do list for years and there’s something so freeing about finally just doing it! 

So, why did it take me so long to start this blog??? Sure we can state the obvious…procrastination, unsureness, insecurity ... the list goes on. But ultimately it boils down to fear. Fear of failure. Fear that what I produced wasn’t good enough. Wasn’t perfect. 

I was striving for the perfect moment, the perfect posts, the perfect look....

Well guess what ...

Perfection does not exist. 

And this is something I have to remind myself of daily.

Sometimes the very idea of perfection can get in the way of our progress. We strive for this unrealistic and unobtainable goal and the fear of not reaching it sometimes keeps us from even beginning the journey. 

So why do we do this to ourselves? 

One of my favorite quotes is by Marianne Williamson who said, 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us."

We're afraid to shine. To show our best. 

I was. 

Because my best still didn’t feel good enough. It wasn’t “perfect”. I was continuously second guessing my talent and my passion. 

And it’s easy to get so stuck on what we’d like to fix, that we miss what is actually wonderful about our gift. By holding back, we actually miss the opportunity to grow or to even help someone else. We often fear that if we aren't on the level that we want to be on then we'll fail. And that it’s not even worth it. We want to be perfect before we even begin. 

But again perfection doesn't exist. 

And this will stop us from sharing the very gift God wants us to use.

Don't get me wrong, wanting to be the best version of yourself and produce good work is definitely a good thing. It’s productive to have the mindset to want to strive for more. To be an overachiever. And as a Virgo and naturally a perfectionist, I have to be cautious not to allow that to prevent me from even starting. From even trying. Because let’s face it, we all have to start somewhere. But the goal is progress, not perfection. It's the small victories that can motivate us and ultimately lead us to where we need to go. 

So instead of getting stuck on making things perfect that you talk yourself out of even starting your journey - sit back and reflect on all that is good about what you bring to the table. And who knows, maybe through someone else’s eyes - all those imperfections that you’re trying to hide, are actually truly beautiful and impressive and just want someone else needed to see. 

Perfection doesn’t exist. So let’s just be our beautifully flawed, perfectly imperfect selves. Let’s share our gifts and start the journey without allowing fear of inadequacy or fear or failure keep us from being the light we are destined to be. 

🤍J. Leigh