As a woman in this generation, the main thing I seek to achieve in this world full of imperfections is perfection to be THAT GIRL. The one who attends yoga classes at 6 am, the one who drinks a green smoothie on an empty stomach, the one who wears sparkling gold hoops, and the one who puts on clear mascara and Rare Beauty Blush for her morning lectures (classy, I know!). This girl is the epitome of perfection. She has a bunch of friends and a loving boyfriend who cares about her more than his frat bros. More importantly, however, she is an ambitious woman who cares about her future more than anything.
This is the standard we’ve set for a woman who is successful. The standard is that in order to become a billionaire businesswoman, you have to drink green juice every morning and you have to wake up before the sun is even out. Kidding! The point is that there are many women who struggle with their desire to be that perfect girl and are dampened with guilt if they fail to do so. They compare themselves to HER, wishing they had the motivation to do exactly as she does.
But the beauty of this is that the perfect girl is not perfect herself. We fail to see that sometimes, it’s not always glitters and rainbows.
The reality is that sometimes she sleeps in until 3 pm, eats leftover pizza for breakfast, and goes to class in the same sweatpants that she slept in. Heck, sometimes she doesn’t even go to morning lectures. She fights with her boyfriend over everything, wishing every day that he would understand her better. She drowns herself in classwork as a Pre-Med student, striving for every extra credit opportunity offered to her.
After taking a behind-the-scenes look at “THAT GIRL,” we now know that she is not perfect either.
Something that we struggle with a lot is comparing ourselves to others, especially with social media emphasizing certain features and qualities as perfect. You open TikTok and are met with comments such as “Wow! Body goals!” or “I wish I was you!” Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely support female empowerment, but sometimes we fail to see the negative consequences it has on individuals. I see those comments and immediately start comparing myself, spiraling into my insecurities once again.
I recently watched a TedTalk by Kristin Neff titled “The Space Between Self Compassion and Self Esteem,” where she talks about how humans have a tendency to show no compassion or understanding to themselves. I remember she gave an example where she talked about whether you would treat a friend the way you treat yourself, and it really opened up my eyes to the harsh things I say to myself if I don’t meet those certain expectations of perfectionism. As they say, you are your worst enemy, and comparison is the worst thing you could do to yourself.
So, this article is a reminder to drink green juice every day! Jokes aside, it’s actually supposed to be good for you! But remember to treat yourself with compassion, and remember that being imperfect is what makes us human!