Perfection

I have been hearing so much negativity lately, and I no longer wonder why people have such low self esteems. In today's society, we are expected to be perfect. We make ALL the right choices in life, we do everything in a certain order, we pay all our bills on time, every single time... we do not accept help from anyone else.... we are the perfect parents who spend 100% of our day being interactive and teaching our children such amazing things... we're never tired, we never get sick, the house is always clean... we all have PhD's and drive earth-friendly hybrids. We never tell our kids to "wait" or "hold on a second" or "no". We encourage them 24/7, never watch them fail because they never make mistakes... and they learn all the good things in life and none of the bad.  Society preaches that none of us are perfect and that we all make mistakes but is that how people actually allow you to feel? Probably not.

We all have things to work on. There will always be things we wish we could change or make better. There's always MORE you can fit into a day and MORE you could be doing instead of relaxing. You can always read more, do more, and play more with your children.  You can always yell less, be more patient, be more creative, and the list goes on.

Our children are perfect and never throw tantrums. Never pick their noses. Never drag dirt into the house, whine at the grocery store, or throw their food on the floor. Why? Because we are perfect parents.  All our children are bottle-broken by one, never used a pacifier, breastfed until 4 years old, never drink juice, eat cookies, or have some chocolate.... They are all patient, kind, understanding, and proper.

Does that describe you or your children? Probably not.  I am certainly not like that and my child isn't either. My parenting isn't perfect... there are things I would change in my past. Mistakes I would erase. Patience I would have loved to have. I wouldn't ever raise my voice, or feel guilty for wanting to eat a single meal without interruptions... I should love Every single second of life because once that second is over, it's gone forever.

Is that really what we want? To be perfect? Why? I am fine with my imperfections and try to learn from them.... the only reason I would want to be perfect is to not be judged by others. But why? Why does it matter so much what others think? Can we just be happy with ourselves and the fact that we are doing the best we can? And sometimes... I don't do my best. I do things fast just to get them done at times. I'm human, and so are you.  It's OK to make mistakes and to do things you said you'd never do. It's OK to not be the perfect parent/friend/spouse/sibling. But it's also ok to strive to be a better person.  As long as it's done in a healthy way and you can forgive yourself for making mistakes. Those who strive for perfection, in my opinion, will never truly be happy because perfection in all areas of life, is impossible. I like to say, I am a perfectly imperfect person. I make mistakes. I'm not always the mom, wife, child, sibling, friend I would like to be but I try.

Our focus on the thoughts of others is so alarming these days. We ARE our own worst critic. Give yourself some credit. You are an AMAZING person! YOU are an amazing brother/sister/mom/dad/aunt/uncle/wife/husband. All those things. There are SO many people who love you and some who even love your flaws. Those are the people worth keeping in your life. For those people who refuse to make time for you, refuse to treat you with respect, and refuse to love you for who you are.... maybe it's better if you distance yourself from them. If you surround yourself with negativity, there's a good chance you will live a negative life as well. Why? Why would you want to live with so much negativity when we have ONE life, ONE shot, ONE day at a time?

That's my thought for the day. Maybe today is your last day? So why not make a difference? Even if the difference, is only in yourself. That's the most important.