You Don’t Need Perfection To Be Happy
By Matt Wilks
We’re always so hard on ourselves—much more than we should be.
We’re hard on ourselves because we know that we’re capable of so much. Because the people we love the most know we’re capable of so much.
Yet we constantly find ourselves so much more disappointed than ever really happy.
We’re always looking for more, thinking that we need to do more, be more, and have more.
And in turn, we’re never satisfied with who we are. Instead, every second is a means to an end, not a means to live.
As a result, we do things with no purpose. We have things that don’t bring us value. We become someone that we’re not.
We’re hard on ourselves because we are choosing to believe that we aren’t enough.
That our happiness is dependent on our accomplishment and success. That our happiness is dependent upon external things.
But really, those self-created pressures are the death of our happiness—the death of our well-being.
Because happiness was never about accomplishment. Happiness was never about achievement. Happiness was never about being perfect.
No, happiness was always about trying.
About exploring new places.
About experiencing new adventures.
About making mistakes.
About always learning.
About forever growing.
About always living for the moment.
Happiness was never about perfection. Rather, happiness was about imperfection.
It was about knowing that happiness is not dependent on but independent of what’s outside.
It was about knowing that happiness is not always a straight line but a jagged one.
It was about knowing that happiness will never be perfectly accomplished or ever perfectly intact. That happiness will never be a straight line, nor should it ever be.
No, happiness was never about that.
Happiness was about letting go.
Happiness was about abandoning the rules.
Happiness was about feeling whole.
Happiness was about being fully alive.
So, to you, the reader, before you judge yourself, ask yourself:
Am I being too hard on myself?
Am I being too heavy with myself?
Because perfection is not happiness.
But accepting imperfection is.