I once read a quote.. I think it was by Joyce Meyer, that imperfection was impatient with imperfection. It is an irony really. We are aware that no one is perfect, but that does not stop us from becoming incredibly angry, hurt or offended when someone has the audacity to show all their imperfection in our direction. Really.. how dare they! But the truth is, if we learn to be more patient with our own imperfections, it becomes the key to dealing with the imperfections of others.
If you've ever seen someone (yourself included!) rail someone out about their mistake, no matter how trivial, you are seeing someone expressing there inward displeasure with themselves in the way they are treating someone else. It's a sickness really... sometimes we are not cognizant of just how displeased we are with who we are personally. It takes self examination and self awareness to honestly deal with just how unhappy we are with our situations. A fair measurement though is to watch how we treat others. Are we quick to snap on someone who has done something we've deemed improper? Are we very judgmental? Do we not leave room for missteps? It is very possible we have this same judgment of ourselves. It is a real block to achieving peace and creating healthy self esteem.
There is a verse in the bible that says "Judge not, lest ye be judged". And I always believed that meant that other people were going to judge us the same way we judge others. But as I grow, I see yet another meaning. I think the same judgment we measure out to others is a direct reflection of how we judge ourselves. So I looked at that, and began to allow myself some leeway... room to be imperfect, to make mistakes. Instead of harping on my mistakes and holding them against me indefinitely, I am learning to forgive myself. It is as intense a project as learning to forgive others, in fact I think it is harder. The by product though I've noticed is a much more relaxed view of others. I am much more willing to be gracious to others in their imperfection because I first applied that grace to myself. So as we work to become better versions of ourselves, it is important that we give ourselves room to be imperfect.
