Perfect imperfections
Confession: I’ve been really stressed out lately. I’ve also felt very disconnected from “me” and some big parts of my life. I try to use my commute to and from work to process stuff but in reality, I usually just spend that time stressing out. This morning, I had an ‘aha’ moment and when it hit me, I relaxed immediately and that feeling stayed with me all day.
In the past I was very connected to the philosophy behind The Four Agreements.
The Four Agreements are:
1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
I remembered them in the wrong order, but as I went over them in my mind - and what they mean to me, a feeling of peace came over me and I realized I felt very connected and had let go of so much of my stress.
Lately, on Facebook, I have been trying to post things that keep my spirits up. Sometimes it’s a picture I take myself, sometimes a quote I find, sometimes it’s something someone else has shared that shows up on my timeline. A friend pulled me aside this weekend and told me that something I posted really touched him. It struck me - that I was posting the stuff for me, but someone else was benefiting from it. That made me feel good. I was doing something to help myself through an imperfect time and I ended up helping someone else.
So of course, all of this fell into place for me today as I was having my little epiphany - even when we’re imperfect, just being true to ourselves shines our light for others. Being my fabulously flawed self was somehow just right. I’m so thankful for the things I’m working on - even when they’re hard and I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing - because I’m still being me and apparently that’s just right.
So, another part of my epiphany was to be thankful for our imperfections AND to thank others for those moments when their imperfections shine a light for you. I had another friend do that for me recently and I owe her a thank you. It takes a lot of courage to be perfectly imperfect. It’s scary and intimidating and sometimes we could use a little encouragement - makes that light shine a little brighter.