When it comes to the way we look or what we see in the mirror, we are quick to hone in on the physical features we don’t like versus what we see that we do like. For a lot of us, this starts in our adolescent years and continues well on into our adult lives. So the real question is, why are we so hard on ourselves? It’s because we have this unrealistic idea of what perfection is and what society tells us perfection is.

If society tells us what perfection is and if we don’t have some of those physical features of perfection, how in the world are we supposed to fully embrace our imperfections? Well, first and foremost, you have to let go of your mindset of being inadequate and fully embrace all of you in its entirety. What people fail to realize is that beauty and perfection are two different things.

People strive for beauty but call it perfection, not realizing the difference in the two. Theladders.com tells us that perfection is what degrades a product, work, or person… the flaws or imperfections are what gives that product, work, or person beauty. Once a person realizes the difference in the two ideals, their perceptions might start to change.

Now, there are some imperfections that people suffer from that are simple and safe fixes that can boost confidence. Your teeth are things that can be fixed with the professional help of experts like this Dentist in Modesto without altering who you are. If you have a crooked smile, braces can easily fix that; If you have teeth that are disproportionate in size, composite or porcelain veneers can easily fix that physical imperfection.

But there is still beauty in imperfections like that. The model Lara Stone has a very successful modeling career despite her perfectly imperfect physical feature, the gap between her two front teeth. Ultimately, what it all boils down to is body image.

What is Body Image?

A lot of people tend to think that body image is solely about weight and size but there is so much more to body image than one might think… it’s all about your perception of yourself. Body image comes in two forms. You can have a positive body image of yourself and you can have a poor body image of yourself and those two perceptions can shape your mental state for the rest of your life, for the better and the worst, it just depends on the direction you let your perception go.

Positive Body Image

Those with a positive body image don’t try to hide their imperfections. They’re comfortable in their own skin, whether their skin has wrinkles or stretch marks, they’re not afraid to show their true selves and how they look. Even big companies like CoverGirl are embracing what most would consider as perfectly imperfect by opening the door to its first model with Vitiligo.

To have a condition like that, you can only imagine the stares and looks she would get because her skin wasn’t perceived as normal but because of her positive body image, she has gone on to have a successful career in the modeling industry.

Poor Body Image

Those with a poor body image of themselves don’t have the emotional freedom to accept themselves in their natural physical form. They will oftentimes not wear certain types of clothing or hide certain body parts just so that they can avoid criticism from others… The only thing about avoiding criticism from others is that self-criticism is far worse and does much more damage than how the perception of others can affect you.

To Fully Embrace Your Physical Imperfections, You Have to Change Your Attitude Towards Your Imperfections

This might be easier said than done but changing a poor body image to a positive one is a very important part of becoming happy with yourself. It’s something you’re going to have to diligently work at with yourself. A great way to work on it is to test out some cognitive behavior techniques.

For example, if one of your poor body image habits is refraining from wearing certain outfits out of fear of what others will say about you, try wearing that very outfit. Now, to start out, try wearing the outfit in the comfort of your own home and when you feel comfortable enough wearing it at home, then you can venture out and wear it in public. Do that with multiple outfits. Once you start doing it enough, you’ll grow so comfortable with yourself that you’ll embrace your imperfections rather than hide them.

In doing this, will you receive negative comments? Possibly, but the thing to remember is that their comments don’t matter… it’s all about how you feel about yourself that matters. If people can’t accept you for who you are, imperfections and flaws and all, that’s okay because you’re not living your life for them… you’re living your life for you, and self-love starts with you.