Human Imperfection

We all say it: “I’m only human,” and yet we continually get down on ourselves for making mistakes. So what exactly is human perfection and why are we both comforted by it and constantly trying to make it disappear?

Is human imperfection simply the number of mistakes made, size of the mistake or is it really the lesson that’s important? As children we learn by making mistakes. We touch a hot stove and remember not to do it again or we go through experiences with different people and learn from those mistakes how to react in certain situations.

The size of the mistake or impact on our life tends to leave different impressions on each of us that cause us to react or think in a certain way whenever we encounter these situations again. It can be as simple as looking both ways before crossing to being terrified every time you cross the street, depending on the experiences or mistakes each of us have gone through and learned from. The mistakes we’ve made have a profound effect on each of us, but do we have to live our lives as if we are defined by our mistakes?

Of course not, but people do it everyday. They blame themselves for things they have no control over and are their own jury and executioner when deciding who’s to blame for the mistakes in life. How we learn from our mistakes is what’s really important and is the real lesson behind our human imperfection. Human imperfection may ruin our idealized image we have of ourselves, but that’s the beauty of each lesson we learn in life. Our mistakes are what make each of us a more complete individual as long as we take the time to learn from our mistakes. No matter how unfair the lesson may seem, we all can become stronger individuals who are more confident and know the importance of self love by embracing our human imperfection instead of beating ourselves down all the time.

Accepting our fault’s involves not only learning the lesson but also making an effort to become a better person by acting on your thoughts of bettering oneself once the lesson has been learned. It’s one thing to say you’ll change and quite another to actually follow through, but as long as you are making an honest effort and doing your best you really have nothing to feel guilty about when mistakes happen. It also helps to remember that our mistakes and how we handle them also has an effect on others around us, both our close friends and family and people we may not know that well. Being compassionate to others is just as important as self love and respect towards our own selves during times of trial.

Another important part of going through life where mistakes are bound to happen is learning to listen to your inner voice. It will help guide you through life’s lessons and tough times while you are evolving into the beautiful person you are meant to become. Listen closely and try different techniques to quiet the constant chatter in your mind. For example: going for a walk, exercising, yoga, meditation, even a quiet bath at home can be considered time to ease your mind and find the answers you need to help solve a problem or fix a mistake.

You can always count on mistakes being made as we are always learning something new and continually evolving throughout our lifetimes. This is one of the few constants we will experience during our lives. Why spend it tormenting yourself over mistakes that are bound to happen anyways? So try embracing your human imperfection and realize that it is also what makes all of us unique individuals. Most importantly remember to be gentle with yourself and remember you’re only human after all :-)