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The Gift of Imperfection*

Updated: Nov 24, 2021

Do you sometimes judge yourself for not meeting the standards you set for yourself?

Or, do you judge others for not meeting your standards?


None of us are perfect. Even if we strive for it, we'll never reach it. Unfortunately, most of us are continuously judging ourselves or others for being imperfect and we do a lot of harm to ourselves and others because of it.


The attitude of our Judge Saboteur plus many other saboteurs is this constant nagging at our own or other people's performance. But the sage perspective is that everything can be converted into a gift and opportunity and that includes your own imperfections.


Let me give you a few examples. Are you a leader in your organisation? What impact would a perfect leader have to his or her team? It would have a rather deflating impact. All team members would constantly feel discouraged and inferior because they experienced themselves to be imperfect.


Also, consider the devastating impact on a child if a parent were truly perfect. The child would grow up with deep shame and guilt about not being nearly as perfect as the perfect parent.


There is no vulnerability in perfection. There is no humility in it. There is no possibility for others to connect with you to feel similar to you. Perfect, even if it were possible, would make us inhuman and impossible to relate to.


Similarly, I would never want my kids to grow up without any of their own saboteurs. Why? Because they would then have zero empathy and understanding of the related struggles that every other human being confronts every single day. They will feel so isolated and different incapable of truly relating to others, or having compassion for how tough it is to be human, and to have to deal with saboteurs.

These are just some examples of the Gifts of Imperfection.

Consider anything about yourself that you have been judging as imperfect and then consider how it is already a gift or what you could do to convert it into a gift.

Today love yourself for the beautifully imperfect being that you are, and appreciate the many gifts of that imperfection. Instead of judging, today, feel gratitude for your imperfection.


If you'd like to learn more about your saboteurs and your sage, join my PQ program course. Details here: https://www.matthiasberger.net/post/positive-intelligence-a-mental-fitness-program


*© Copyright Positive Intelligence. No reproduction, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without prior written permission from Positive Intelligence. www.positiveintelligence.com

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