Nobody’s Perfect

Nobody’s​ ​perfect.​ ​

These​ ​simple​ ​words​ ​are​ ​doing​ ​cartwheels​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head​ ​at​ ​the​ ​moment.​ ​

The gym​ ​is​ ​empty​ ​now,​ ​the​ ​music​ ​is​ ​off,​ ​the​ ​last​ ​drop​ ​of​ ​sweat​ ​has​ ​bleached​ ​the​ ​concrete​ ​for​ ​the​ ​day, and​ ​here​ ​I​ ​sit;​ ​with​ ​nothing​ ​but​ ​these​ ​two​ ​words​ ​and​ ​the​ ​low​ ​dull​ ​humming​ ​of​ ​the​ ​refrigerator dancing​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head.​ ​

They’re​ ​meant​ ​to​ ​put​ ​people​ ​at​ ​peace,​ ​to​ ​tell​ ​them​ ​not​ ​to​ ​be​ ​so​ ​hard​ on themselves,​ ​that​ ​it’s​ ​absolutely​ ​impossible​ ​to​ ​reach​ perfection.​ ​Yet​ ​here​ ​I​ ​sit,​ ​contemplating, trying​ ​to​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​why​ ​those​ ​two​ ​words,​ ​so​ ​simple,​ ​so​ ​elegant,​ ​just​ ​don’t​ ​quite​ ​sit​ ​well​ ​with​ ​me. Then​ ​it​ ​dawns​ ​on​ ​me…I​ ​don’t​ ​believe​ ​them!​ ​See,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​spent​ ​the​ ​last​ ​decade​ ​teaching​ ​others how​ ​to​ ​get​ ​healthy,​ ​lose​ ​weight,​ ​gain​ ​muscle,​ ​and​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​this​ ​crazy​ ​thing​ ​we​ ​call​ ​life. 

With​ ​each​ ​person​ ​it’s​ ​something​ ​different,​ ​but​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time,​ ​it’s​ ​the​ ​same.​ ​It’s​ ​the​ ​same​ ​in that​ ​almost​ ​everyone​ ​feels​ ​the​ ​need​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​something​ ​about​ ​themselves​ ​to​ ​gain​ ​more self-worth.​ ​

Now,​ ​I’m​ ​all​ ​for​ ​self-improvement.​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​continual​ ​self-improvement​ ​and​ ​growth are​ ​the​ ​keys​ ​to​ ​a​ ​fulfilled​ ​and​ ​happy​ ​life.​ ​However,​ ​it’s​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​we​ ​attach improvements​ ​to​ ​our​ ​self-worth​ ​that​ ​bothers​ ​me.​ ​By​ ​saying​ ​nobody’s​ ​perfect,​ ​it​ ​leaves​ ​us​ ​always wondering​ ​what​ ​perfection​ ​is​ ​and​ ​maybe,​ ​just​ ​maybe,​ ​we​ ​could​ ​be​ ​one​ ​of​ ​those​ ​special​ ​few​ ​that reach​ ​it.​

 This​ ​leads​ ​us​ ​to​ ​a​ ​vicious​ ​cycle​ ​of​ ​comparing​ ​ourselves​ to​ ​others.​ ​Measuring​ ​yourself against​ ​society’s​ ​current​ ​view​ ​of​ ​“perfection”​ ​and​ ​asking​ ​“where​ ​do​ ​I​ ​stand?”​ ​and​ ​“how​ ​can​ ​I improve​ ​my​ ​standing?”​ ​

This,​ ​in​ ​turn,​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​unfair​ ​and​ ​generally​ ​harsh​ ​self-evaluation​ ​(or​ ​I should​ ​say​ ​-​ ​devaluation),​ ​self-loathing,​ ​and​ ​utter​ ​misery.​ ​That​ ​is​ ​why​ ​I​ ​have​ ​a​ ​problem​ ​with those​ ​two​ ​simple​ ​words.​ ​They’re​ ​poison​ ​disguised​ ​as​ ​humility​ ​and​ ​to​ ​rid​ ​ourselves​ ​of​ ​this​ ​toxin, we​ ​must​ ​address​ ​it​ ​like​ ​most​ ​problems;​ ​attack​ ​it​ ​at​ ​the​ ​root,​ ​because​ ​the​ ​honest​ ​truth​ ​is…​ We’re all​ ​perfect.​ ​

In​ ​my​ ​decade​ ​of​ ​work,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​lucky​ ​to​ ​get​ ​to​ ​know​ hundreds​ ​of​ ​perfect individuals.​ ​Some​ ​were​ ​smart.​ ​Some​ ​were​ ​funny.​ ​Others​ ​dull​ ​and​ ​straight​ ​laced.​ ​I’ve​ ​trained​ the tall,​ ​the​ ​short,​ ​the​ ​heavy,​ ​the​ ​lean,​ ​and​ ​every​ ​size​ ​in​ ​between​ ​(don’t​ ​worry​ ​I’m​ ​not​ ​about​ ​to​ ​go​ ​Dr. Seuss​ ​on​ ​your​ ​ass).​ ​I’ve​ ​known​ ​well-grounded​ ​people​ ​and​ ​others​ ​always​ ​on​ ​the​ ​edge​ ​of​ ​a schizophrenic​ ​breakdown.​ ​All​ ​of​ ​which​ ​were​ ​absolutely​ ​perfect!​ ​

Because​ ​perfection​ ​lies​ ​in​ ​the fact​ ​that​ ​we​ ​are​ ​all​ ​unique​ ​individuals​ ​painting​ ​our​ ​own​ ​masterpiece.​ ​We​ ​aren’t​ ​meant​ ​to​ ​be​ ​like anyone​ ​else​ ​but​ ​ourselves​ ​and​ ​that’s​ ​the​ ​beauty​ ​of​ ​perfection;​ ​and​ ​also​ ​the​ ​liberation.​ ​It’s​ ​my belief​ ​that​ ​when​ ​we​ ​take​ ​this​ ​outlook​ ​on​ ​life​ ​as​ ​opposed​ ​to​ ​the​ ​latter;​ ​that​ ​we​ ​free​ ​ourselves​ ​from the​ ​shackles​ ​of​ ​suffering.​ ​Then​ ​the​ ​world​ takes​ ​on​ ​more​ ​vibrancy.​ ​As​ ​if​ ​it​ ​were​ ​painted​ in Technicolor.​ ​We​ ​are​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​improving​ ​ourselves​ ​in​ ​the​ ​name​ ​of​ ​society’s​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​perfection, rather,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​improving​ ​due​ ​to​ ​a​ ​passionate​ ​longing​ ​for​ ​joy,​ ​happiness,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​pleasure​ ​of leaving​ ​our​ ​unique​ ​take​ ​on​ ​this​ ​short​ ​time​ ​we​ ​have​ ​on​ ​this​ ​planet.​ ​

Now,​ ​for​ ​those​ ​who​ ​already strive​ ​for​ ​growth​ ​from​ ​a​ ​place​ ​of​ ​self-love,​ ​I​ ​commend​ ​you;​ ​but​ ​for​ ​those​ ​who​ ​don’t,​ ​whether​ ​it​ ​be losing​ ​weight,​ ​getting​ ​healthy,​ ​or​ ​some​ ​other​ ​cause,​ ​do​ ​it​ ​because​ ​you​ ​believe​ ​it​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best​ ​way to​ ​impart​ ​your​ ​unique​ ​perfection​ ​on​ ​the​ ​world,​ ​not​ ​because​ ​you​ ​feel​ ​compelled​ ​to​ ​reach someone​ ​else’s​ ​unattainable​ ​standard​ ​of​ ​perfection.​

We​ ​all​ ​have​ ​one​ ​chance​ ​in​ ​life​ ​to​ ​create​ ​our own​ ​masterpiece,​ ​don’t​ ​get​ ​stuck​ ​following​ ​a​ ​paint-by-numbers​ ​because​ ​you​ ​think​ ​it’s​ ​wrong​ ​to color​ ​outside​ ​the​ ​lines.​ ​

Personally,​ ​I’ll​ ​be​ ​the​ ​one​ ​in​ ​the​ ​corner.​ ​Finger​ ​painting.​ ​With​ ​a​ ​smile. 

Probably​ ​huffing​ ​glue.​ ​

Perfection.