A thought occured to me recently, I guess in someways I have always known it but it really hit me when a friend made a passing statement to me about beauty. I began to think - Why do we have to be perfect?
Now I, as with many women take pride in my appearance. I am rarely seen in public without my make-up and I like to make an effort even for the smallest of excursions, for example, the supermarket. This being said however, the increasing pressures on both men and women to be perfect at all times is becoming somewhat over the top.
Where Did This Come From?
My initial thought began when a rather beautiful friend of mine compared herself to other girls who may have been skinnier or as she said 'sculpted' and came to the conclusion that she did not measure up when side by side with such creatures. Once she said this to me I immediately dismissed this and told her that she was beautiful in every way - which she is. It made me sad though as it is a common theme with young men and women today to feel that they are inadequate because of how they look despite the fact their beauty lies beneath with the kind of hearts that they have.
I am a culprit of these kinds of comparisons myself, it has to be said. I never feel that I am 'perfect' enough. I don't wear certain clothes in case I may not be toned enough, or I hide my hands if my nail polish isn't flawless. I worry about my make-up if it isn't perfect. I am so terrified of being judged by those around me that I forget the basic rules of life - be who you are inside as that's what truly counts.
I am a great believer that beauty is all about your personality. For me the personality of a person is what makes them attractive. A soul that burns so brightly you cannot help but see it radiate from their face to me is beautiful. The issue here is that for some reason that works behind closed doors but when plunged into a social setting such as a bar the old habit of worrying about being 'perfect' comes right back out again.
Perfect - Why Perfect?
It feels that the world has lost the true meaning of what it is to be 'perfect'. The word perfect is derived from the Latin word 'Perfectus' which means completed. Completed to me would mean to have a completed soul. To be a good person who will help others and provide comfort and love when needed not necessarily perfect in the visual sense.
We have become warped as to what is required to measure up to other peoples opinions. It's a natural way to pass time in this century, nobody feels that they are doing anything wrong by vocalising what is wrong with somebody else's looks or clothes - I myself am no stranger to do doing this - but why has society deemed this normal? Surely this cannot be what good people are supposed to do.
Perfection is Everywhere - no really!
Overall through writing this piece I have come to the conclusion that 'perfection' is indeed everywhere. Now although it is true that nothing and certainly nobody is perfect, it can be said that if you choose to take the original meaning of completed there are many reasons why completed people and things surround us.
As I sit here at my dining room table writing this my gorgeous Molly is sitting beside me. She is perfect or as I now like to think completed! Now I know what you are thinking - I am biased and she is a dog - but go with me on this. If people could start by finding the 'perfections' in the simple things of life then these could eventually translate to our human selves, both in how we feel and our judgement of others.
I look at Molly and I see 'perfection' because not only is she visually beautiful but she is loving, loyal and her temperament is kind. She is by my side no matter what, especially when I am sick and she never causes me any reason to think that she is unhappy with her unusual life style. She wags her tail morning, noon and night, protects me from those she deems to be dangerous and overall brings me endless joy. The truest reason as to why she is 'perfect' or 'completed' - she is selfless. She would not give it a second thought to risk her life for mine - that is what true perfection is. Not looks or clothes, make-up or nails but selfless love.
Another example of perfection being everywhere is my Mother. I hope everyone who reads this has a mother (or father) like mine in their life. She may not feel that she is perfect but when you think of the word as something other than how it is perceived today, I hope she see's what I see. I see a women who's laugh brightens up the darkest room, whose heart is so full of love for those she holds dearest it could almost burst. What I admire most is that nothing stops her. She suffers as I do from JHS and IBS and as if that wasn't enough with all that pain she is also a chronic asthmatic. This doesn't stop her - oh no, nothing does. She may not have achieved all she wanted to in life but truly she is my inspiration. I want to make someone feel as protected and as loved as she has made me feel all my life. That is perfection. I have never been scared to tell my mum anything and I never will be - she is part of me - she completes me so I guess thanks to her I am perfect or completed.
What do we think now?
Now that I have come to the end of this piece I think it is safe to say that we have to think about the idea of perfection as something totally different than we already do. Everybody is beautiful as everybody has the potential to have a selfless soul. This is what perfection really is. We need to embrace who we are, we are all beautiful and therefore we are all perfect!
No comments:
Post a Comment