Kiran Athar
Let’s be honest, we’ve all got imperfections.
Some of us are more comfortable with our flaws, while others try their best to hide them.
But what many of us don’t realize is that by accepting and embracing our limitations, we actually free ourselves from so much toxicity…in short, it’s incredibly liberating!
I personally have been on a journey of owning my flaws and so far, the results have been life-changing!
Here are 10 reasons why you should embrace your imperfections and be real:
1) It allows you to form deeper connections with people
One of the reasons I love embracing my flaws and being real with people is that it allows you to form much deeper connections than if you’re constantly trying to hide parts of yourself.
What do I mean by that?
Well, to put it in simple terms, when you’re authentic with people, they get a chance to know the REAL you.
Not the pretty, “perfect” version that doesn’t exist.
And when people can see you, imperfections and all, they’re able to know you on a deeper level.
Just think about your closest friend and or family member.
They know the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I bet your relationship with them feels much more intimate and personal than those who don’t honestly know you!
2) You stop living in denial
But here’s the thing with being real and showing the world your imperfections:
There’s no room for living in denial.
Look, we’ve all got parts of ourselves that we wish we didn’t have. I hated my insecurities for a long time, so much so, that I began to deny them.
In the end, it ruined relationships. I lost friends. People knew I was insecure, so my act of denial wasn’t fooling anyone!
And most importantly, it wasn’t helping me move forward as a person.
Once I started embracing my imperfections, I was able to also start working through them. I stopped making excuses to others and began owning my insecurities.
That leads me to my next point…
3) You don’t have to “people please” anymore
Isn’t it exhausting?
Trying to keep everyone around you happy, while you suffer in silence?
I know it was for me. I constantly felt like I had to hide my emotions or desires just to avoid rocking the boat.
But once I started recognizing the importance of being honest and real with people, life suddenly became much easier.
In short, by embracing my perfections, I found my voice.
There was no more hiding behind a mask of happiness. No more going with the flow and denying my own feelings.
You see, when you own who you are and engage in authentic relationships with people, you quickly realize that the ones who are worth having around will be there no matter what.
And the ones who aren’t worth it?
Well, they’ll be out of the door quicker than a light switch!
And once you sift out of the riff-raff from your life…
4) You’ll be able to focus on what really matters in life
Our imperfections are not completely disregardable. They are important because they make us who we are.
But they aren’t EVERYTHING in life.
And they certainly shouldn’t own you or control you.
That’s why you need to take ownership and embrace your flaws. It puts you back in the driver’s seat.
And more importantly, it allows you to throw yourself into what really matters!
Whether that may be:
- Spending time with family
- Focusing on your career
- Traveling
- Forming new friendships or relationships
There’s a whole world of things to be getting on with, and your insecurities and flaws can either join you for the ride or hold you back.
To achieve the former, you need to find acceptance of your imperfections. See them for what they really are, not a limitation that stops you from living a full life!
5) You’ll feel less stressed out
The truth is, embracing your imperfections doesn’t just help you live a happier life, it also decreases how stressed out you become!
So, what’s the link between the two?
Well, think of it this way…If you’re constantly denying, running away, or hiding from your insecurities, it’s almost like a dark cloud hovering over you, threatening to rain down on you at any moment.
You end up living in tension.
But when you look your imperfections in the eye, embrace them and do what you can to work through them, you slowly begin to remove that dark cloud.
Will you get rid of it forever?
Probably not.
But perfection isn’t what we’re chasing here. We’re looking for sunny days with the odd chance of clouds and rain.
The two are very much needed for growth to happen, the same way it works in nature!
6) It’ll increase your compassion for others
Another reason why being real and embracing your imperfections is important is that it’ll greatly increase your empathy and compassion for other people.
You see, it’s easy to judge others.
“She’s always so negative, what’s wrong with her?”
“Why does he always go for the wrong girl? It’s like he enjoys being hurt; always playing the victim!”
Let’s be honest, we’ve all thought or made comments like this.
But when you start to embrace your own imperfections, you realize that everyone else is dealing with their own sh*t.
And half the time, the flaws they’re dealing with aren’t even their fault.
We are a product of nature but also of our environments and upbringings.
I for one am much more understanding of my friends and family now. I recognize their imperfections, but rather than slate them for them, I try to look at where they come from.
This has helped me form better connections with others, whilst also allowing me to become more forgiving and accepting!
But there’s more:
By being compassionate…
7) You’ll inspire others
It’s true! When others see you throw away the mask of fake perfection, it gives them the green light to do the same!
Just the other day, I was explaining to a friend how I had to have an uncomfortable conversation with my partner about the way I was feeling about certain situations in our home life.
I was honest with him and we were able to resolve our issue (much quicker than we used to, I may add).
My friend took a few minutes to think and then confessed that he’s been trying so hard to hide his emotions from the girl he’s dating, that he’s pushing her away.
He decided to be honest and REAL with her, rather than making up excuses.
Here’s the thing:
We’ve all gotta start somewhere. If you take the lead by embracing your imperfections, you never know what effect that might have on someone around you.
In time, you may see real changes within yourself and those closest to you!
8) You’ll be respected for being yourself
And continuing on from my last point, not only will you inspire others to embrace who they are, but you’ll also be respected by those who truly matter.
They’ll recognize that you’re taking ownership over your actions – even when you mess things up – the fact that you can hold your hands up and embrace your imperfections counts for a lot.
It shows integrity.
And there’s nothing people respect more than someone who can be honest and 100% themselves. Even if they don’t like you, they’ll still hold you in high regard.
Keep that in mind the next time you’re tempted to shy away from being your true self around people!
And if that isn’t enough of a reason to be real, the next point will surely do the trick:
9) It’ll improve your self-esteem
Ahh, self-esteem.
It’s something most of us could do with more of!
To be blunt; the more you avoid your imperfections and push them to the background, the more it’ll affect your self-esteem.
But unfortunately, most people seem to think the opposite; they think they’ll appear more confident if they ignore their flaws.
The truth is, those flaws haven’t gone anywhere. And they will shine through no matter how much you try to suppress them.
So, what’s the alternative?
Embrace them!
Don’t see them as a foe to battle with, but rather an imperfect friend who needs nurture and love.
The moment you start doing that, you’ll be able to build on your self-esteem and with time, you’ll have genuine confidence (without having to fake anything!).
10) You’ll get to enjoy being “you”
And finally, if you embrace your imperfections and be 100% real with whoever you meet, you’ll slowly start to get to know the real you.
Yes, YOU will get to know yourself…
Isn’t that funny? We go through life forging relationships with others but rarely stopping to think about the relationship we have with ourselves…
And part of the reason why that happens is that we avoid getting to know ourselves because we don’t want to face all our imperfections.
But in doing that, we deny ourselves the chance to know all the wonderful stuff too!
So, take that first step, be honest about who you are, and you’ll be surprised at how much you learn about yourself. Give it time, and you’ll actually learn to enjoy being “you” – flaws and all!
