Dear Reader,

At some point in your life, you’re going to encounter someone who strives for perfection, who sets impossibly high standards for themselves and those around them. This person is going to seem like they have their entire lives figured out, but just know that they may not actually be as put together as they want you to believe.

Listen to me when I say that perfection is impossible to reach, everyone has flaws, whether they be emotional, mental, or physical, and that is absolutely okay. Those that claim to know who they are, those that push their limits every day, those that try to maintain a perfect lifestyle are just as damaged and conflicted as you. Don’t believe them when they say they have it all figured out because if that were true, their teeth would be on display for the world to see from always smiling and they would radiate happiness. But do they? No.

You, reader, are not perfect, those that seem like they’re perfect are not perfect, and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with having goals or wanting to change yourself for the better, but don’t push yourself so hard that you start to push others away from you or start to lose focus on what’s most important – your happiness and wellbeing.

Things won't always work out. You’re going to mess up sometimes, you’re going to cry and scream and feel completely broken, you’re also going to lose sometimes. Life is a rollercoaster of triumphs and failures, so don’t push yourself so hard to reach a triumph that at the first sign of dipping into a failure you get off the ride. Things won’t go according to your master plan sometimes and that’s okay, life can be funny like that. In the end, you’ll get to where you need to be, maybe not the way you wanted to, but you’ll get there.

Remember to breath every now and then, take a step back from the goal setting and intensity of pushing the limits to get an outside perspective. Relax. No matter what anyone says, you know who you are and what makes you happy. Others may try to change you, to mold you into something they deem “perfect”, but remember that the only one who can change you is... you.

Don’t listen to those who claim to know you better than you know yourself, they’re just trying to deflect attention from their own flaws. You’re stronger than you think. Don’t forget who you are and what you want in life.

So reader, for future reference, it’s okay to not be perfect. It’s also okay to want to change, but do it for yourself and not for anyone else because at the end of the day the only person who can define you is… you.

Sincerely yours,

Caitlin