RETOUCHED - Inspirational Writing

I was obsessed with perfection. At first, the perfection I chased was achievable; things like better skin and a magazine worthy home. But eventually, perfection began running faster than I could, and I fell behind. Perfection is never satisfied – it always demands more. I not only wanted perfect skin, but impossibly perfect skin. I not only wanted a magazine worthy house – I wanted a house that would stay as perfect as those in the magazines, not just for a quick photo.

What the world never tells you is that everything "perfect" is retouched. What do I mean by this? I mean everything “perfect” in the world is just a little fake. Every magazine photo we compare ourselves to has been airbrushed beyond possibility and taken in the most perfect lighting with the best makeup. Those homes we want our homes to look like? These homes know no life – no kids – no dogs. These homes don’t know how busy life is for the average person - for the real person. They really aren’t homes – they are nonfunctional, “empty” lifeless spaces.

The so-called perfection of the world wants us to be just like them – but why isn’t true perfection sold to us? The answer is a little disappointing. It is because shallow sells better than deep. Those who tell us what perfection is, have come to know this public secret. They know that people will chase after perfect looks. They know that people will chase after the perfect home. They don’t want you to know that imperfect is the real perfect.

You should look at life like looking at an antique. With antiques – the imperfections these items have are called character. This character is loved – the showing of a life lived makes each item more unique and worth even more in their own way. People fall in love with the scars each antique has. People fall in love with the details that make them different than everything else.

There is beauty in what is real – more beauty than can be found in what is fake. Think about those in your life that you love unconditionally. Do you love them because they have perfect skin or the perfect home? Or do you love them for more real reasons?

Knowing your answer to this, you can know why those in your life love you. It’s not your perfection they love, it’s your realness.

You know why nature is so beautiful? It is imperfect :)

(Photography by me)

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Thanks for reading! :)

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