Alright my friend, grab a comfy chair and maybe a cup of your favourite drink. Let’s dive into this fascinating topic, sprinkled with a bit of quirk and a dash of humour.
Ever hear that classic line at parties, "Hey, we're all flawed, just embrace it!"? Yeah, me too. I think I’ve nodded along more times than I’ve asked for a refill on my apple juice. Now, motivational speakers, coaches, and even Aunt Marge who fancies herself as the family psychologist, have all dished out this golden nugget of advice: "Accept your flaws."
But hang on a sec! Let's take a little detour from the mainstream thinking lane, shall we.
What if I told you we’ve been seeing it all wrong? 🤯
If there’s one life lesson, I've gleaned from nail-biting game nights and those utterly devastating Monopoly losses (I am sure I am still smarting over the betrayal of landing on 'Park Lane' with a hotel on it), it’s that sometimes, you must recalibrate your strategy if you want to come out on top. This brings us to that golden oldie life mantra we've been spoon-fed for ages: "Embrace your flaws."
Let's revisit that time you gave into the TikTok temptation. Remember, I know you do? You tried mirroring those trending dance moves and ended up resembling a penguin caught in a tornado rather than the next dance sensation. I’ve been there, tried that, and got the t-shirt (along with a slightly bruised rear end). Or when you decided to jump on the sourdough bandwagon during lockdown, only for it to turn out resembling something more appropriate for building a house than for a sandwich. Such adventures, right?
Are these actually indicators of something inherently wrong with us. No, no! It’s just our unabashed human spirit jazz-handing its way through life, sometimes missing a beat but always stealing the show.
Picture this: Little Timmy, at his 7th birthday party, tries to hit the piñata and ends up spilling juice all over his dad's new shoes. Flawed? Or just a rite of passage in the wild jungles of kiddo parties?
Fast-forward a couple of decades. Now imagine you're at work, and you accidentally sent that embarrassing meme to your boss instead of your work buddy. Flawed? Or just being a bit too relatable in the modern digital age?
Every single one of us, from the dude who invented the wheel (imagine the number of wonky prototypes!) to the modern-day influencers who accidentally post a blooper reel (and then it goes viral because, well, it's hilarious), have goofed up. And you know what? It's what makes us, well, us!
Let's talk history for a moment. When the ancient Egyptians weren’t busy perfecting their eyeliner game (cat-eye goals, right?), they upheld the notion of 'Maat', which is all about balance, order, and harmony. Yet, even these master architects, with their pyramid precision, permitted the occasional misaligned block. Their philosophy? Perfection isn’t about never making mistakes, but rather embracing the journey, stumbles and all.
If every human ever – past, present, and those cool folks from the future – have all had their 'whoopsie-daisy' moments, can we really call it a flaw? Or is it just a universal rite of passage, like binge-watching a show and regretting it at 3 a.m.?
Every individual who has ever walked this Earth (including the luminaries, the thinkers, and even the rockstars who gave us iconic guitar solos) has faced their collection of facepalm moments. But here's the delightful twist: these aren't “flaws” in our cosmic blueprint. They're features, quirky, melted easter eggs in the grand game of life.
To label ourselves as “flawed” is akin to suggesting that a peacock might be more 'on point' without its radiant plume. Absurd, right? Those feathers are its pièce de résistance! And so are our mishaps!
Let's nix this notion of "flaws." Instead, let's celebrate our collective journey of perfectly timed missteps and amusing misadventures. We're not machines coded to perform flawlessly. We’re fabulously unpredictable beings with brilliant minds, each viewing the world through our one-of-a-kind kaleidoscope.
Instead of looking at ourselves through this distorted funhouse mirror, let’s cherish every slip, trip, and hilarious hiccup. Because, my friend, we aren't robots hardwired to function seamlessly. We're a wonderfully whimsical blend of emotions, experiences, and eccentricities, each painting our journey with our own wacky colour palette.
Let’s stop viewing our reflections through a magnifying glass (that exaggerates every pore and imperfection), let’s step back and embrace the full panorama of our existence. Every laugh line, every misadventure, every "I-can't-believe-I-did-that" story. We aren’t just a collection of nuts and bolts, functioning based on some mundane manual. We are a beautiful cacophony of dreams, drives, and delightful detours, each narrating our own epic with a blend of passion and panache.
When your chatty neighbour Bob, who's always armed with a cliché, offers, "Well, nobody's perfect. We all have our flaws," toss your hair (or hat) with flair, chuckle heartily, and retort, "Bob, I’m not on the 'flawed' software version. I've upgraded to 'Human 2.0' - now with enhanced features and a load of hilarious bugs!"
So the next time someone tells you to "accept your flaws," give them a cheeky grin and say, "What flaws? I'm just mastering the art of being human!"
Life isn’t about avoiding mistakes, but collecting them like badges of honour, celebrating our resilience, and dancing through the unpredictable tune of humanity, and learning from each moment.
Because, after all, there is no such thing as a flawed human. We're just navigating this roller coaster called life, screaming with glee, and hanging on the best we can!
And there we have it! Life's a grand adventure, full of ups, downs, and delightful detours. Let’s keep celebrating the quirks, questions, and quips that make us the radiant mess we are today. Let’s revel in the ride, and keep those stories coming! Cheers to that! 🎉🥂
Much love and many blessings to you all.
JT Noor