The Journey Within: 5 Strategies for Embracing Imperfections

In this hyper-competitive modern world, it’s all too easy to fall into bad habits of judging yourself and others too harshly. Before you know it, you permanently set your inner monologue to negativity. Hello, Inner Critic! You feel dissatisfied and grumpy with everyone and everything. And that’s no way to live your best life!

Here are some top strategies to help you learn to accept imperfection in yourself and other people and leave that negative mindset behind:

Be Conscious of Your Thoughts
If a negative viewpoint has become your default setting, you probably don’t even realize it. Take a moment to tune into your self-talk. Pay attention to the words you’re using and course-correct for more positive language.

Switch Up to Positive
Consciously change your inner monologue to focus on positives. Instead of focusing on differences and seeing them as flaws, choose to see what is good in the other person. If your go-to is to is to criticize their weight, hair or the way they speak, hit the reset button and find something you admire about them.

Tune in to a Colorful View of the World
It’s easy to fall into the habit of seeing things as right or wrong, black or white. Sure, someone else’s choice may not be yours. Maybe you wouldn’t work for a multinational or vacation in Antarctica. But that doesn’t mean those choices are wrong. They’re just different. Seeing things in black and white is so limiting. Open up a little and retune your world view so you can all the colours as equally valid.

Stay in the Present
Some people keep off world history of wrongs and imperfections stretching way back. They almost act like perfection police, waiting to add to their list of transgressions. Or they worry about future mistakes and how to avoid them. Don’t be that person! Instead, you can choose to stay focused on the here and now and enjoy what’s happening in your life today.

Turn It Around
If you find yourself slipping back into your past habits of judging others, turn it around and ask yourself: How would it feel if someone was judging me? Remember that old saying about people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones? When you feel tempted to dismiss someone’s appearance or actions, it’s good to remember to cut people some slack and they are more likely to go easy on you.

You can always choose to step our of the competition race at any time. Try it. It’s guaranteed to improve your life!