Everybody feels bad sometimes! That’s what girlfriends, sisters and mothers are for. So we can send selfies and say “Do I look fat?”, “Is this spot really obvious?”. It’s normal.

It’s so important to reiterate the message that no matter how many ‘filters’ you use, you’ll never be truly happy unless you love the raw, unedited version of yourself. That’s why Ronda Rousey’s ‘Letter On Imperfection’ is so important.

Ronda’s body is athletic. Strong. Powerful. She is pretty incredible when it comes to fighting, and proves that women can do anything men can. And she’s penned an open letter for Refinery29:

“I scroll through my phone like everyone else. I see the world filtered and duckfaced like every other woman does. And sometimes I’m almost convinced that’s real.

But it’s not.

The curated lives we see every day are fake. The perfect angles, the perfect outfits, the perfect lighting. That’s not reality. What is real are imperfections. What builds character and toughness is struggle. What makes us better and more human is attempting something, coming up short, and then trying it again.

But for women the rules seem different.”

Ronda talks about the fact that men can specialize and be good at just one thing, while for women it seems like we have to be perfect at everything. And how the pressures of perfection can harm our confidence. It’s true! How often do you feel like being smart or good at your job is not enough? That you need to have a perfect body, be healthy, be organized, be tidy, go and enjoy life, vacation, have friends…etc. It’s all crazy!

In this letter, Ronda talks about her upbringing and the ways in which a quest for perfection led her to a less-than-perfect sport. And how accepting your imperfections is accepting true beauty. Mothers are sharing it with their daughters, friends with their Facebook feeds. Because it resonates.

“Am I a good girlfriend? Am I a perfect mom? Am I the best athlete? Am I wearing white after Labor Day? Am I dressed in the right brands? Am I dieting right? Am I manicured, blown-out and tanned?

These little constant quests for perfection start pecking away at our attention. Perfect never leaves room for improvement. And perfect never lets us focus on what’s really out there for us to achieve.”

So, girls. Read the full letter here and if you want to achieve your full potential, it’s about time you stop trying to be perfect!

What do you think about this letter? Where has trying to be perfect led you? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you.

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Beth

Managing Editor

Beth is the Managing Editor of CGD. She is a graduate of the Penguin Writer's Academy, has published a short story and loves to read creative writing manuals in her spare time.

Yankified

I really applause Ronda for writing with such passion for what some of us may forget. We are human, we are not all perfect. I constantly strive for greatness but sometimes have to remind myself Im just one person.

Amy | http://www.yankified.com
Zoe Mountford

Loved reading this, what an inspirational post! x

Zoe Mountford x
Leanne Lindsey

This so true, especially about women having to be perfect at everything – and even then most of the time it still doesn’t feel like enough. Worse still, so many women criticise and tear other women down, even though they too are subjected to the same exhausting expectations daily. I think there is starting to be a shift though, it’s very slow, but at least the wheels are in motion and letters like this one only add to the momentum.