People always talk about perfection like it’s something we should all be. But if you take a closer look, nothing and nobody in this life is really perfect. We are all flawed and we are all just humans. Perfection is a trait for more divine creatures.

Yet we all strive to achieve it. And it’s precisely that obsession we have with perfection that makes love something that is hard to find. It’s like everybody carries around those checklists and if all the boxes don’t get checked, we fail in love.

Striving for perfection actually might not be such a bad thing. We should all try to be a better version of ourself. To be better than we were yesterday. To compete with ourself and push ourself to reach what we consider to be greatness. Whatever that is, it should never be measured by somebody else’s standards of perfection but instead by our own.

That pursuit of perfection can be really damaging to our self-esteem, to our love life and to our expectations. That’s why we should all start being realistic.

I believe that perfection is in trying, in giving your best. I believe that perfection is a kind heart and an open mind. I believe that we are all perfect in our imperfections. I believe that we all have somebody out there who will love us because even though we might not be perfect, we are definitely worth it.

That’s why we should give more emphasis to worth than to perfection. These are the things I believe make me worthy of love.

1. I am aware of my flaws and I am always working on them.

Having flaws is one thing but recognizing them and being able to admit that I need to make some changes is way harder. It took me a while to get to that state. Nobody wants to see their downsides let alone work on them. I am lucky because I own my flaws and I am always trying to be better than them. I guess some of them will be stuck with me for life. That’s why I just want somebody who will be able to deal with my flaws as I will deal with his.

2. I am stronger because of my brokenness.

Life hasn’t always treated me fairly. It has beaten me down in more ways than it’s humanly bearable. But, I managed to get back up. I managed to pull strength from somewhere deep inside of myself even though I didn’t know I had any left. I managed to persist despite my wounded heart and broken soul and I am a better person because of it.

3. I am grateful.

I am the kind of person who enjoys life. The kind who gets amazed by everything around her. I am grateful for my family, for the morning sun and the night lights that sparkle the city. I am grateful for this creative brain of mine that works non-stop. I am grateful for all the pain that made me into who I am today. I am grateful for this world and for this life.

4. There is nothing fake about me.

I smile sincerely. I cry when I am alone. I speak my mind. I am comfortable in my own skin. I have a good sense of humor. I listen attentively. I never pretend to be something I am not. I don’t force relationships of any kind. Everything I do comes from the heart.

5. I am genuinely kind.

I hate fake politeness so when I say something nice and polite it always comes from my heart. If I have nothing nice to say I’d rather say nothing at all. I think kindness is the greatest gift I can give to someone. I help those who are in need of my help, especially my friends.

6. I have no problem in saying the words, “I am sorry.”

Sometimes my mouth is quicker than my brain, so I may say some things that would be better left unsaid. I hurt people unintentionally. I might hurt people’s feelings or bruise their egos, but I’ll always apologize. I will say I am sorry and I will mean it. I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong and I will always feel bad about it. I will try to make amends and do my best to learn from the experience so that the same thing doesn’t happen again.

7. I fail. I fall. I try again.

I am a bit stubborn but that can come in handy sometimes. I will fail as many times as it takes till I get something right. My stubbornness makes me persist. I’m not perfect. I’m not everything on my own checklist let alone somebody else’s but the give is worth the take. I am a work in progress and I hope somebody will value that in me.

8. I’m not perfect but there is beauty in being me.

I’m not the girl on the runway or the cover of the magazine who everyone wants to be with. I am backstage creating wonders. I don’t fit into societal norms of things like sizes and beauty but I learned to like me for me. I’m a woman who’s comfortable in her own skin.

9. I am a complete, well-rounded individual but I still want somebody to call my own.

I am OK with being just me in all four walls of my home. I like spending time with myself and finding new ways to make myself happy. I don’t need a man to be my other half. I need a partner in crime. Someone I can laugh with, be weird with and who is comfortable with us making fun of each other. I need a partner in life. Someone I can lean on when I get too tired of life. Someone whose hug is more powerful than anything in this world. Someone who will listen. Someone to share happy moments with. Someone who will be worthy in all their imperfections just like I am in mine.