I was so excited to be a guest blogger on elinap.me with Elina Puohiniemi from Finland. She is such a talented artist, and is a great influence in my life! Check out her many inspiring Mira(cle)Doodles!
Artwork Above: Creator of Miracle Doodles, Elina Puohiniemi at www.elinap.me, Finland
Give Imperfection a Hug
Do you ever look at yourself in a 3-way mirror while trying on a bathing suit and think, “I’m fabulous”? If so, you don’t have to continue reading. It doesn’t matter how fit or slender you are, it is very hard to tell yourself that no matter what angle you see yourself, it’s perfect. Why is it hard to do? Because it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being happy with your imperfections, whether that is physical, emotional, or intellectual.
Think about translating this analogy of the 3-way mirror, to one that looks at your heart from many perspectives. Visualize yourself standing in the middle of a room, surrounded by staircases, much like an Escher print. The center, where you stand, represents your heart. Watch different aspects of yourself, climb the multiple staircases, which lead back to center. No matter what journey or staircase they climb, they always arrive back to the heart center.
Imagine yourself hugging them one at a time, and saying, “I love me just the way I am. I am content with who I am, right now.” Are there one or two parts of your persona that are hard to hug? If so, ask yourself why? Maybe it’s about being okay with mistakes or imperfections. Maybe it’s about stepping back to realize the reason why, by tapping into self-awareness. Maybe it’s about making a change that serves you better, or about self-forgiveness.
Taking the time to be an observer from your heart’s perspective is the first “stair-step” to self-enlightenment. When we can embrace our angry self, jealous self, and so on, we accept our humanity.
The eastern expression based on the word Namaste states, “What we see in ourselves, we see in others.” This expression teaches us that embracing our “self” makes it easier to embrace others. Embracing our circumstance makes it easier to embrace life. The word Namaste further translates to, “The divine in me, recognizes the divine in you.” Living in your divinity or essence is about embracing imperfection.
The divine is perfectly imperfect. Our imperfections make us unique, and allow us to share our special perspectives, journeys, and gifts in a co-creative world. Life would be boring if we were all the same. If we acted perfectly all the time, we would not allow our hearts to express ourselves in a unique way. Emotion is a language that helps us to find our heart center.
So, next time you start judging a part of your “self”, make sure you recognize why and then do the right thing. Give it a hug.
Namaste,
Lesley Wexler, heartabove.net