They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect.
I wish they’d make up their minds.
(Wilt Chamberlain)

Yesterday we talked about a clear either/or choice each of us faces in life: We can hide, or we can heal. Hiding our pain from others is the surest way to keep that pain growing inside of us.

Today I want us to consider another, related choice:

We can be perfect, or we can be real.

The opposite of perfect is not imperfect; the opposite of perfect is reality. This is because no human is perfect, and our efforts to be so will inevitably leave us hurting, and alone. The beauty of recognizing our imperfection is we can then find ourselves among fellow humble, human strugglers.

I’ve always told my kids that everyone you meet is, at some level, full of it. Everyone will be, at some point, hypocritical, inconsistent, and flawed. The best people among us are those who are aware of it; those who know their own fallacies and aren’t terrified of others knowing them. These are the people worth befriending, working with, and marrying. These are the kinds of people we discussed yesterday, the kinds of folks you want to invite into your private world, and share your pain and mistakes and hopes and dreams. I believe these kinds of connections are at the heart of what we all want most in life, especially in the relationships that matter most.

My dream is that ScreamFree can somehow, in some way, help people willingly embrace their imperfections, and connect them with others willing to do the same.

Peace begins with pause,