Accept yourself for who you are and move forward.
It’s hopeless striving for perfection because none of us is perfect. Far from it, in fact. We’re all imperfect, chaotic, flawed, insecure and extraordinary. Which is kind of cool really and it’s exactly that originality that makes each and every one of us wonderful, in our own unique way.
I’ve talked a lot about acceptance over the years: working to accept yourself for who you are; accepting life for its ups and downs; accepting imperfection for the richness, diversity and chaos that it brings into our lives.
Another writer who has a lot to say on this subject is Beth Kempton, and I love her books. Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life encompasses the very idea of embracing imperfection, and The Way of the Fearless Writer is one of many books that I found truly inspirational whilst writing my own book about living through change (there’s definitely another blog right there, so watch this space).
I want to share a quote from Beth which really resonates with so much of the work I’ve done coaching my own clients:
“In my work helping people transition between careers, between lifestyles, and between life stages, I constantly come across resistance to being a beginner, due to an overwhelming fear of failure. If you start something new, it’s highly likely you will get things wrong along the way. There’s no doubt this is hard on the spirit as well as on the ego. It’s easy to see why so many people spend years on a track that is making them miserable now, to avoid the possibility of a mistake making them miserable in the future. This is particularly the case with people wanting to shift into a more creative way of living or earning their income from a creative profession. The risk is too high, the fear of failure too great, the ghosts of art teachers and other critics from the past too loud in their ears. But there is something they don’t realize: failing your way forward is progress. Each time you do it, you build up your store of inner wisdom, to draw on next time you need it. The “failure” does not have to be the end of the story. It can be the beginning of the next chapter, but only if you accept the imperfection, show yourself compassion, and choose to move forward.”
- Beth Kempton, Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life
Accepting imperfection is 100% necessary if we want to develop, grow and move forward, and this idea is something that I hope all of my coaching clients understand - and embrace - by the time we finish working together. Things will sometimes go wrong, we will sometimes fail, life won’t always turn out the way we want it to and we will need to be the beginner again on some occasions. But these bumps in the road make us stronger, wiser, and better prepared to face whatever lies ahead. Life isn’t perfect and neither are we. That’s part of the fun and variety of it all.
The first step is to accept ourselves for the imperfect people we are and the second step is to keep showing up to be seen anyway, even when we’re afraid and uncertain of the outcome. And even when we need to be beginners again. We’re all capable of more than we realise and we’re all imperfect. The cool thing is that imperfect people - like you and me - are changing their lives - and the world - every single day.
Whether you’re looking to create small changes or transform your life, I can help you by providing you with the tools you need to access your inner voice and let the real you shine through. Get in touch to find out more about my coaching, workshops or to enquire about my new book.
