Flawed

Someone very influential in my life recently described themselves as being flawed.  I have never considered this person to be flawed, because I feel they are so incredible.  The concept of being flawed has resonated with me since I heard the person use it to describe a personality attribute.  When I looked up the word, I discovered that it means, “a feature that mars the perfection of something.”  After reading this definition, I decided that I would absolutely prefer to spend my time around flawed individuals than perfect ones.  Have you ever listened to a captivating musician or viewed the works of a wonderful artist and realized that their talent resides in embracing the imperfections?  I like a little bit of mess in my world.  It’s more interesting.  It’s more palatable.  It’s more inspiring.

Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I am peppered with imperfections.  I’m often impatient.  My responses often outweigh the circumstances at hand.  I can have an assertive tongue.  My expectations of others can be out of line.  I often move in hyper-speed.  Flawed, I am.  I have spent years inwardly apologizing away my personality as being less than acceptable, because it isn’t the picture of perfection.  Recently, I have been challenged (by the same person who said they were flawed) to consider a lens of love when looking at the world.  The flaws in the universe make it pretty remarkable.  Many “mistakes” have led to amazing discoveries.  Did you know that the creation of the chocolate chip cookie came as the result of a flaw?  Ruth Wakefield – owner of the Toll House Inn – had to adapt a recipe and broke up pieces of sweetened chocolate to replace baker’s chocolate.  She thought the chocolate “chips” would melt together, but instead the future of the chocolate chip cookie was created.  I, for one, would love to hug Ruth for embracing a perceived flaw and creating one of my favorite desserts.

Creativity is where flaws are often beautified.  Modigliani is one of my favorite artists (check out his works if you haven’t done so before).  I love his works of women, because he had a fascinating ability to distort the images into something wonderful.  A perfect portrait wasn’t his aim.  He sought to show the world a different way of looking at the human body.  And, in the fashion industry, you might notice that articles of clothing now have tags on them that let people know that they may find intentional flaws in the fabric.  It’s purposeful, because who wants to always be surrounded with perfection?

I am so grateful that I was introduced to the concept of flaws recently.  More importantly, I am happy that I was challenged to embrace self-flaws and other-flaws with a spirit of love and humility.  After all, we are all works of art that are still being masterfully and interestingly created.  And, I shall happily ponder this concept while eating a chocolate chip cookie.

Changepoints:

Encourage yourself to embrace your “flaws” by asking:

·        Am I too harsh on myself or others?  What areas that I perceive to be flawed could actually lead to something special?

·        Do I surround myself with people who encourage self-discovery, even if it means I might fall or make mistakes?

·        Are there areas in my life or activities I don’t explore because I am afraid of not being perfect or needing to instantly be the best?

·       What messages do I send myself about striving for perfection?  Are they rooted in a necessary reality or am I being overly critical?

·        Are there activities or interests I might consider if I weren’t concerned about failing or the critical opinions of others?

o   What is preventing me from swinging for the fences?

o   What actions can I take to assess my threshold for flawed living?

Be courageously, wonderfully and beautifully flawed!

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results.