I used to be so obsessed with perfection. I loved knowing I was on the right track, I had my life in order, everything made sense. I tried so hard to always do the ‘right’ thing, or never make a mistake (like that’s even possible). I spent so much time and energy pushing myself, only to feel like I failed when things didn’t work out perfectly. And how toxic is that?!⠀ ⠀ But lately, I’m working on embracing the messiness of my life. I’m surrounding myself with people who challenge me and not always think or live the way I do. I’m accepting that I don’t always have set plans or answers - sometimes I just have to wait. And I’m pushing myself to be more real about things in my life as they’re happening - not worry so much about how 'weak’ or 'weird’ (insert any negative adjective) that makes me appear.⠀ ⠀ This morning I sat down to write a piece about love - it’s geared towards women - encouraging us to push the men in our lives to be better lovers, to love us with the same tenacity, to step up or to leave. And I realized that in each of our relationships (and especially me, as I did some introspection) we bring our past baggage to the table, our past fears, our ways of thinking. And this isn’t bad, but when we accept who we are and have been and acknowledge that we’re imperfect but still worthy - then we discover that it’s okay to be messy, it’s okay to be human, it’s okay to be imperfect.⠀ ⠀ “I am just a messy collection of cells that make up a whole."⠀ ⠀ This phrase came out of that piece and it gives me so much comfort - not only in the way it speaks truth to myself, but for each of us. We’re so damn imperfect. But that’s okay. We’re still whole.⠀

19. Nån stark eller svag - bild från high school reunion 2003. När jag åkte som utbytesstudent till Allentown, Pa. så visste jag inte så mycket om varken mig själv lr världen. Det året har präglat mig och gett mig perspektiv jag inte vill vara utan. Situationer jag aldrig trott jag skulle vara stark nog att klara av, men som jag gjorde. Och de svaga sidorna jag inte vetat att jag hade. Upptäckte en helhet i att vara både och 🙏. #februarifoton #someonestrongorweak #beingwhole #parklandhighschoolreunion2003 @daveveal - look in the upper left hand corner 😊

Love isn't about finding someone to complete you, you need to be whole on your own. Your love should simply compliment you, never be the thing you need to be whole.