Im-PERFECT Barbie?

Barbie is not enough

This clip from the Barbie movie really moved me.

It captured how most women (or those socialized as women) feel.

Even Barbie struggled with perfectionism.

In the movie, Barbie, who has the "perfect body", isn't perfect because she's not the president or a doctor or xyz. She does not see herself valuable.

The expectation is that she be extraordinary in every way, that she is not enough as she is.

If Barbie isn't enough, what does that mean for the rest of us?

I am never enough

…until I’m perfect.

The meaning of PERFECT is being entirely without fault or defect : flawless.

It's not just a high bar to strive to as a person, it's an impossible one. There is no PERFECT person whom I have ever met. In fact, if I met a PERFECT person, I'm sure I would think something was off about them.

Yet, as impossible of a goal as it is, many of us women strive to be as perfect as we can be.

How productive are you?

One measure of perfection is how PRODUCTIVE you are.

We set unrealistic expectations of ourselves.

Then we're constantly disappointed for not living up to those expectations.

So we beat ourselves up and drive harder. 

How many times a day I put off going to the bathroom when nature calls, as I just want to get one more thing done first?

We walk around exhausted and barely able to relax without feeling anxious and the drive to produce.

All the way through, the thought is: I did not do enough.  I'm not enough.

Enough is Enough

How can we ever be enough if enough means we're perfect, and perfection is impossible?

Spoiler Alert: We can't.

That is why it's time to change the bar.

• It's time to take an honest deep look inside at what you're striving for. 

• Get to know yourself. What is it that lights you up? Strive for more of that. 

• Expect failure. Plan for it. It's inevitable. Learn to be resilient around it. 

• Failure is learning. Failure can lead to more growth than success ever will. 

• Celebrate learning. Celebrate each little win. Celebrate EVERYTHING.  

  • I made someone smile at work today  ✅🙌🏻🥳

We keep waiting for someone to come tell us we're enough. That we're perfect, we ascended.

That person is not coming from the outside. Except me, I'm going to tell you right now that I think you ARE enough. Because you are. But you need to do that for yourself too.

Focus on what you did do, not what you didn't. Celebrate the F out of it!