Here’s Why Flawsome Is The New Awesome

There are a lot of perfect things in this world: There are perfectly round balls and perfectly square tables. But there are no perfect people. We are flawed. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be awesome nonetheless. It just means we can only be flawsome.

What is flawsome?

Flawsome means being flawed but awesome nonetheless – it means being okay with not being perfect. It means incorporating our flaws into who we are and what we do - healthily.

Everyone has a different fingerprint, face, and even iris. We are not perfect balls or tables, we have quirks, but that is also what serves to make us unique – our differences, born from flaws, make us unique.      

There are variations in our dentations, heights, tone of voice, and so on. And, beyond the realm of biological imperfections, we still have imperfect perceptions and behaviors. Some people are easily angered, while some others are shy. We cannot control what flaws we are born with. And they are sometimes unchangeable.              

But this isn’t something to be ashamed of. True, some flaws are easy to overlook whilst others are quite conspicuous, but all flaws are flaws. This means, if we cling to the desire to be perfect, we would be unhappy – because there would always be flaws.         

This is why we need to cultivate a new perspective. To see being flawed as part of life. To make peace with it and continue with our lives. To accept who we are and be okay with our imperfections.      

And while flawsomeness might sound like being indifferent about one's shortcomings, it is not. In fact, being flawsome requires that you notice, and embrace those flaws to make your life awesome.

Like Shanon L. Alder once said, “why would anyone want perfection when growth comes from flaws”.      

Research has even proven that people tend to trust products and services which have some negative reviews or complaints than those with zero negative reviews. Why? Because it appears like a scam. This is the same with people, if you appear to be too perfect, then people will be distrustful of you because no one is perfect – everyone knows that. That is why being flawed but awesome nonetheless is key.    

How to be flawsome?

Being flawsome isn’t hard to attain. You are already flawed, all you have to do is turn those flaws into advantages, and it all begins with…  

• Self-Awareness: The first step to being flawsome is being aware of your flaws. This is because if you’re not aware of your flaws then there is no way you can incorporate them, healthily, into your life. In fact, a lack of awareness of your flaws can get you in trouble or cost you a whole lot of opportunities. Being self-aware simply involves knowing that you’re short-tempered, shy, or whatever it is that you battle with. This awareness helps you catch yourself in the middle of the act, which then permits you to accept it.
• Self-Acceptance: A lot of people get in trouble when they get angry at their flaws. For instance, being angry that you’re a shy person, or feeling ashamed of your temper, only leads to more undesirable behaviors. To cultivate flawsomeness, you’d need to accept it as your flaw, work on it and love yourself nonetheless.    
• Vulnerability: The next crucial step is to admit your flaws to others, and even inform them before they realize them. This can be as simple as informing them that you are a shy person, or someone who easily gets provoked, but that you usually don’t mean it that way, and that it is sometimes beyond your control.   
• Self-improvement: And finally, a life of constant self-improvement needs to be adopted. Knowing you are shy you must begin to put yourself in more uncomfortable situations in order to get used to it. You may not totally eliminate it, but you would eventually learn to work with it nonetheless. This is the same for "anger". Anger can be controlled, even if it would mean paying for anger management classes.       

Done properly, you can go from being a despised person to being someone people understand, and even admire. They would come to understand, and even accept those imperfections – admire that you are working on them – and better appreciate the other wonderful things about you.      

Becoming flawsome gives you room to grow and become better. It is more honest and admirable than trying to be perfect.

Final thoughts

It is worth remembering that being flawed in one aspect signifies being great at other aspects of life. Maybe being shy came with the blessing of being more focused, loyal, and dedicated. And, maybe being short-tempered came with the advantage of being clinical, transparent, and disciplined. Whatever the case, it is important to realize that most times the worst things about you are also the best things about you.   

Therefore, trying to shed off your flaws would mean cutting off the best qualities that came along with them. This is why pursuing flawsomeness is crucial. It enables you to make the best of both worlds.

It’s like they say, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonades with it”.

All you have to do is be honest with yourself. Accept your flaws. Tell people around you what your shortcomings are (even though this may make you feel vulnerable). And finally, work on becoming a better you.

Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash