Do We Really Need to Chase Perfection?

Picture this: you were born into this world as an empty canvas. Every passing day, you are striving hard to fill in the details of your life. You want to do everything right, be the best and make each day better than before. You want to handle relationships and assignments with near-perfection and accomplish something remarkable every day.

Till date it may have been going well for you, but soon enough you realize that no matter what, you'll never be able to satisfy the standards of perfectionism you have created. You never truly checked if that's even what you wanted; if that's what was going to make you happy. The haunting fear of inadequacy stabs the soul and soon enough you start feeling overburdened.

Welcome to the world of perfectionism. This perceived demand upon ones-self to transcend all limitations and perform marvelously on all facets of life is a regular fixture everywhere we look around. It can not only hamper our progress, but it can also lead to some seriously damaging implications.

The truth is, perfectionism is nothing but a mask for trying to control how our lives turn out. It's a sign of internalised fear of the unknown; an attempt to build boundaries within which one feels safe and comfortable. the desire for perfectionism is an overflow of the insecurities and anxieties that plague us subconsciously.

It’s time we take off the mask of perfectionism. Instead of chasing acceptable yet arbitrary standards of excellence, why not focus on improving our lives as a whole? Why cling to superficial ideas of beauty and success when our emotional and psychological well-being is at stake?

We must remind ourselves of a very basic fact. Life is a journey. It is meant to be unpredictable, a bit broken in places and open to possibilities. On any given day if we fail to accomplish the task, it is just a part of this big curve called life. As long as we stay on the right track, advancing our personal growth without hindering its progress, that's all that matters.

Rather than finding contentment in an abstract concept of perfection, we need to open our minds to welcomed change and approach life with an open perspective. A warm embrace in place of tense fists; a heart ready to trust rather than shut itself up with dejection.

Take each day as it comes because this is where the magic lies. Celebrate your skills and remember the common goal, ticking the boxes of personal growth and well-being one-by-one. That’s the path to real satisfaction, happiness, success and inner peace.