Hide your imperfections

Right from our childhood we are taught a lot of lessons. Some of these lessons shape us and help us progress in our lives. However some of these lessons hold us back and restrict us from chasing our dreams. Some lessons do not allow us to spread our wings and take a leap of faith. While some lessons stop us from using our potential to the fullest.

The lessons that do not promote our growth have to be unlearnt. The journey of unlearning is difficult but it is essential. I would like to share some of the lessons from my life which I decided to let go.

One of such lessons was 'Hide your imperfections'.

While growing up I was always told that we need to appear ideal in front of the world. I should appear to be an ideal daughter, student, sister, friend, and person. It was not required for me to become an ideal person but to pretend as if I am the ideal person. In order to create the persona of an ideal person the lesson taught to me was to hide all the imperfections. I was told that if I was asked if I could do something I should always say yes despite not knowing what to do. I should never say no to anything. I should always agree for everything. I was told that this way I would appear as the most obedient and ideal person.

Growing up I would always feel that the weight of pretending is a lot. I felt that I was hiding my own self to appear something else in front of the entire world. I had been feeling that my own identity was getting erased with pretending to be someone I was not. While pleasing everyone around me I had been burying my own likes and dislikes.

When I was in my late 20s and early 30s I decided that I no longer wanted to follow the rule of hiding the imperfections. I did not want to portray myself as an ideal and perfect woman. I did not want to pretend what other would like and instead I wanted to be myself. I no longer wanted to hide my imperfections. I felt that my imperfections were making me unique. They were the part of my own identity. Without my imperfections I was not who I am in reality.

I decided to let go off the lesson of concealing the imperfections. I let myself be free and show myself to the world. I told the world that I did not have the key to every problem. I did not know every skill. I did not have a perfect memory. I did not have a perfect life or a job. A lot of things in my life were far from perfect and I was comfortable with them. I was falling down and was learning from my mistake and that is what made me unique. I was not seeking validation because I was comfortable with who I was.

The moment I decided to embrace my imperfections and my identity I felt that the stress of appearing ideal in front of the world slowly disappeared. I felt happier than ever. I felt more peaceful and content. Because I did not have to be careful to be like apple but I finally was relatable.