It’s not easy feeling like you’re always under the spotlight being judged for each little mistake you make. Your mind is in an endless circle playing what you said and did over and over again. You wish you can go back and make the wrong things correct. You fear what others will think about you and that they will reject and dislike you. You seek to be socially perfect.

Academically, you work long endless hours just to make those excellent marks. Although most would say “it’s good to have high standards”, they have no idea about the internal hell you put yourself through to achieve perfection. If you come up less than your desired goal, you feel as if you have failed. But you’re far from failing. So don’t tell yourself that you’re stupid, and not smart. The pressure you place on yourself weighs you down and you wear the “not good enough” label.

The attempt to be perfect is called perfectionism. We strive for perfection with our body, in our performance, and in our relationships. In a society that overstates mistakes, is it any wonder that so many young people attempt the impossible task of being perfect?

We all have flaws, fears, and make mistakes, and that’s perfectly OK. It’s our imperfections that make life interesting and they help us grow into a stronger and more adaptable person. We don’t have to strive to achieve the impossible. We are designed to be perfectly imperfect.