There. There she is again. Flipping her perfect hair over her perfect shoulder while laughing with her perfect group of friends. She’s wearing a crop top and a pair of jeans that shows off her perfect, fit body, her makeup is flawless, and she just looks so effortlessly pretty.
She’s smart, too—you heard that she scored really high on the midterm everyone flunked, and her program isn’t exactly what you would call easy. She’s super involved in school—she holds an executive position in five different clubs and is friends with most, if not all, of the execs. So not only is she well-organized and involved, but she’s also well-connected and popular. She’s talented too—not only can she sing and play the guitar, but she can also dance and draw. You’ve seen the sketches and the short clips of her dance pieces posted on Instagram. They’re breathtaking.
She’s the perfect girl, the girl who seems to have it all, everything you want. She’s the girl you want to be, the girl you are insanely jealous of, the girl you want to hate.
“Want” being the key word.
You want to hate her, you really do, but you can’t—annoyingly enough, she’s as beautiful inside as she is outside. She’s nice, caring, and comforting; someone you’d always make time for. She’s endearingly shy and down to earth, not at all arrogant or bitchy like you’d imagine, and you think: no wonder everyone seems to like her so much. She radiates warmth and light, and draws everyone in like moths to a lamp.
Honestly, you’re torn between being in awe of her and hating her. You both want to admire her and hate her simply because she is so perfect—how in the world can someone be so flawless? So perfect?
This.
This is exactly it.
This is the part where I stop and remind myself that people are not as flawless as they seem. No matter how perfect someone appears, it is important to remember that they are just human beings, with their own baggage of insecurities and perceived imperfections. I might not be able to see them because they hide these parts of themselves away from the world, like everyone else, but they exist, hidden underneath the surface. I’m the same, to be honest — I hide my insecurities behind this false bravado and try to show the world my best side. So who’s to say that someone doesn’t think the same for me? Who’s to say that I’m not a one those “perfect girls” that I’m envious of?
I remind myself that while comparing myself to others can stimulate growth, it can also cause my insecurities to manifest and destroy my sense of self-worth. And I deserve so much better than that. As opposed to being torn down by my own perceived deficiencies, I should use these people I find “perfect” as motivation, to try to improve myself and become the person I want to be. And instead of feeling so negatively about myself, I try to remind myself that I’m not just a being full of flaws—I have strengths and redeeming qualities that others would be jealous of. I have some perfection in me as well.
Everyone has these feelings of insecurity at one point. Even those “perfect girls,” the girls I want to hate. But I think what makes me truly different and admirable is the ability to overcome these feelings and make myself stronger; the ability to build myself into a better person. Into someone I want to be.