The beauty of imperfection is an idea some find difficult to grasp. I have struggled with perfectionism for a very long time. For years I wanted my home to be perfectly clean, perfectly organized, perfectly decorated. I always fell short, no matter how hard I tried.
Those were the days before the social media feeding frenzy where everyone’s an influencer, and no one shows you the real real. I truly believe a lot of people suffering from anxiety struggle because of the constant comparison that happens online.
Questions: How can we adjust our thinking? What steps can we take to embrace the organic state of life? How do we accept the beauty of imperfection?
Accept that imperfection is beauty
The first step to accepting the beauty of imperfection is to accept that imperfection is beauty. I know that sounds cliche. But the most beautiful things in life are the imperfect things. The table with nicks and scratches because a toddler drove too many hot wheels across the top. The unpainted door frame where a tired husband opened the door every evening after a long days work. The mis-matched night stands because a young married couple was just starting out. The undone landscaping because a new puppy was happily digging in the dirt. Home is where the heart is, after all.
These things often don’t appear on social media because we don’t want the outside world to see our flaws, our imperfections, our real life. We want to project what WE want others to see, and infer about us. But life is full of imperfections, and when we look more closely at them, we find there may actually be joy lying underneath.
Accept imperfection as character
Oh how I wish I had known this earlier in my life. My striving, my constant hustling, my utter frustration could have all be alleviated by a simple change of perspective: imperfection is character. I have an old dresser I inherited from my parents. I estimate it to be between 55-60 years old. It is solid oak and it was part of the bedroom suit they bought when first married. In fact, I believe it was THE first set of furniture they ever bought as a married couple.
For years I looked at the top of that dresser with disdain. My oldest sister set a bottle of fingernail polish remover on it, and removed a perfect circle of the finish. It drove my parents crazy, and I only saw it as a flaw. Years later, now that my sister has passed away and I’ve since painted the dresser, I often run my hand over the scar and wish I could see it again. She left an imprint on that dresser, and that imperfection adds familiar character.
Accept imperfection and roll with the punches
I recently watched a YouTube video from Sarah from She Holds Dearly where she talks so beautifully about a porch renovation. She speaks so calmly about embracing the dust of construction, the muddy paw prints of a new puppy, and the beauty we can all still find in our imperfect homes. She truly inspired me to abandon my ideas of perfection and reestablish normality in my home.
We are in the middle of a move. We have our family home that is 4,000 square feet. As empty nesters embarking on a new adventure, we don’t need the space. We have an apartment two hours south of our home town, and we are living outside the box. As I move things from one place to another I find myself torn between the idea of making our 1,300 square foot apartment ‘perfect,’ and simply embracing the adventure and living life. It’s a balance I strive to find almost every day.
I want to encourage you to watch Sarah’s video. I don’t know her – and she doesn’t know me. But she inspired me so much to take life as it comes, embrace the imperfection, and find beauty in all things. Thank you, Sarah!
Remember that sharing is caring, and I’ll see you soon, friend.
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Billie
