“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.”
— Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
I used to think every mistake proved I was broken. Did I mess up a deadline? I’m a fraud. Did I say something awkward? Something’s wrong with me. Then I read this in Brené Brown’s book. She says flaws aren’t evidence of failure — just reminders that everyone else is a little messy too.
Last year I bombed a presentation. My voice cracked, I forgot my points — it was a total disaster. I wanted to hide. Later, a coworker told me she’d once cried in the middle of a meeting. Nobody even remembered. That’s when I realized my shame was lying to me. We’re all just stumbling through.
So now I don’t waste energy pretending to be perfect. I show up, mess up, and move on. Imperfection isn’t what hurts us. The belief that we’re alone in it does.
Everyone is stumbling — you’re just the only one judging yourself.