The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

When we can let go of what other people think and own our story, we gain access to our worthiness—the feeling that we are enough just as we are and that we are worthy of love and belonging. When we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from the parts of our lives that don’t fit

I encourage you to sit down and make a list of the specific conditions that are in place when everything feels good in your life. Then check that list against your to-do list and your to-accomplish list.

We don’t talk about the hustle for worthiness that’s become such a part of our lives that we don’t even realize that we’re dancing.

The problem is that when we don’t care at all what people think and we’re immune to hurt, we’re also ineffective at connecting. Courage is telling our story, not being immune to criticism. Staying

Perfectionism self-talk: “Ugh. Nothing fits. I’m fat and I look like shit. I’m ashamed of how I look. I need to be different than I am right now to be worthy of love and belonging.” Healthy-striving self-talk: “I want this for me. I want to feel better and be healthier. The scale doesn’t dictate if I’m loved and accepted. If I believe that I’m wort

Shame is about fear, blame, and disconnection. Story is about worthiness and embracing the imperfections that bring us courage, compassion, and connection. If we want to live fully, without the constant fear of not being enough, we have to own our story. We also have to respond to shame in a way that doesn’t exacerbate our shame. One way to do that

believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, inspiration, and faith.

Some will find inspiration in our new commitment; others may perceive that we’re changing too much—maybe even abandoning them or holding up an uncomfortable mirror.

SELF-KINDNESS: Being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism. COMMON HUMANITY: Common humanity recognizes that suffering and feelings of personal inadequacy are part of the shared human experience—something we all go through rather