In Pursuit of Perfect

As women we have a tendency to sell ourselves short.

We are...
too thin.
too fat.
too loud.
too quiet.
not smart enough.
not pretty enough.

If only we had...
better hair.
longer legs.
tanner skin.

We are in pursuit of perfect.

I am not sure if you are like me but I have found that the standards I hold for myself or tell myself that I should be are not the same standards that I place on other people.

Too often I have thought those things above and more.

When relationships went south it wasn't my first instinct to think that we weren't a good fit but to focus on how I wasn't perfect.

When did we... when did I... start getting in our own way? We have become our own worst enemies.

I never saw this as a problem. I don't place these expectations on others and often see the people in my life as being perfect. But it became clear to me the other day when I was telling someone a handful of a reasons a relationship didn't work out were all at the expense of me.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and cultural standards of beauty and worth continually change... no matter what I do differently, in the morning I will still be Dani and you will still be you.

I want to hold myself to a new standard, one that isn't based off of physical appearance but instead, my character.

"Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude, and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful." - Jacqueline Bisset

I am serious about this standard in my pursuit of perfect so I came to my dad for words of wisdom that I hope you will take to heart too.

"Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” So true! That is why the best energy we expend is not body work but soul work; the work we do not on the outer person—which no matter how we resist it, fades with the passage of time—but on the content of our character, which is the unfading beauty of a kind and authentic spirit. Those who strive for perfection of the soul will tap into the overflowing grace of a generous God, will gain the undying admiration of those who truly matter and will make the world a much more beautiful place." -Ray Noah

Are you with me?

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