How to Rediscover the Joy Within Us Despite Imperfections

We aim for perfection, but when it doesn't happen, we feel disappointed, disheartened, angry, hurt our own heart, and lose our joy. So, what can we do?

Perfection is a dream that almost everyone loves to have. We all desire a perfect world where our house, car, level of education, partner, family, friends, clothes, things around us are flawless. We envision perfection in every aspect of our lives. However, in reality, perfection is elusive. When it fails to materialize, we become disappointed, unhappy, and even depressed.

While things can improve with time and some better order can be created, it's important to acknowledge that imperfections will always exist, even with improvements in situation. But this doesn't mean we have to live with disappointment, constant anger, resentment, and grudges towards ourselves and others. Instead, we can choose to embrace imperfections as part of our journey and use them as opportunities to find joy in life. By having self-compassion and forgiveness, we can build healthier relationships with ourselves and others, leading to a joyful life. Letting go of negativity, anger, feelings of revenge, and focusing on gratitude and acceptance can lead to a greater sense of peace and contentment.

Although doing our best to the extent we can is great, we shouldn't spend it solely focused on pursuing perfection. While it's alright to strive for better, we must also remember that life has a broader and more meaningful purpose beyond achieving a perfect world. It's about finding joy in the little things, building meaningful connections, making a positive impact on others, spending time in nature, spreading kindness, and embracing the beauty of imperfection. So let's not be disheartened when things don't go exactly as planned, but rather let's appreciate the journey and the lessons it brings, knowing that life has so much more to offer than just a quest for perfection.

Let me share my own example. According to many people's standards, my life is far from perfect. I don't even have a shower or an indoor toilet. I don't even have plumbing at my cabin, so I have to fetch water from a nearby sources. When it is -40C outside, it is not easy to bring water. When I do my dishes, the dirty water goes into a bucket, and once or twice a day, I have to empty that bucket. If accidentally overflow happens, then it takes time to clean it up. I have to rely on friends or visit a local community center to take a shower. In extreme cold temperatures, my car doesn't start, and I face many other troubles. When I go outside to make my videos in frigid cold temperatures, the cold affects my cameras, and even the batteries freeze. The cold often affects my hands when I try to operate them for filming. Continuous beard-icicles can make the face feel very cold. There is darkness, challenges, and loneliness in the cabin in the wilderness, and if I focus on the imperfections, I can count so many of them, which would make it impossible for me to be joyful. However, most of the time, I still like to choose positivity, joy, and see the beauty in my imperfect world. There is actually peace in embracing imperfection, and once we start to appreciate it, we realize that our lives are more content. Sometimes, we can even laugh at those never-ending flaws.

Even though I have shared that my life is not perfect, I still receive letters from people who think that I live a fortunate life. I smile reading those letters because if I were to exchange my life with them, their perception would change by going through the daily difficulties I face. They would start to recognize the hardships, efforts, and management involved. But one thing I do have is joy in my imperfections.

If our advanced iPhones, computers, or apps were flawless, their creators would not have to release updates every few weeks. However, there are always flaws, always bugs, and they are always working to fix them. This cycle of fixing will never stop. However, nature never has to release an update for a plant, animal, human, or celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, or stars. Now, you can see what is most sophisticated and flawless: the natural world.

We also notice our imperfections when we compare our lives to others. We tend to believe that other people's lifestyles, education, skills, materials, and everything around them are better than ours. We constantly criticize ourselves based on this comparison. This leads to loss in joy and internal peace. Comparisons are our number one enemy of happiness. Perhaps our friends are thinking the same thing towards us, believing that we are better off than them. They might be sad that they don't have what we have, and we are unaware of what they are comparing themselves to.

Similarly, many people join gyms and start working out with the sole intention of achieving a perfect body shape. However, when this expectation isn't met, it leads to sadness. While engaging in workouts and exercises is beneficial (I do it too), the ultimate goal should not solely be focused on attaining a perfect body shape. Simply exercising to maintain good health is sufficient and can provide longer-lasting joy. Accepting and embracing flaws in body shapes can lead to extra joy.

I discussed the difficulties I face when making my happy videos. Now, let me share a joyful video moment that I made despite facing those imperfections and challenges. I am confident that it will bring a smile to your face:

The purpose of sharing these examples is to highlight that perfection is not the key to happiness. While striving for improvement is commendable, and working to make a living is important. My ideas do not oppose those notions. Engaging in mindful work is great. However, it is important not to fixate your work and efforts solely on finding joy in attaining perfection, as it is unattainable. And thus, should we be unhappy? No.

Hahaha! Now repeat it with me! 😉🧡🙏🏽

(If you can, share your thoughts on imperfections in the comments below)