If there’s one thing that unites us all in our humanity, it’s our flaws. We all have them in some form or another, and we’re often forced to acknowledge them. Ideally, we learn to accept them in a healthy way and not let them define us negatively or hold us back from being our best selves. The deeper truth is that sometimes the very traits we consider to be our flaws or weaknesses can actually be strengths in the right circumstances.
Taking My Time
When I consider my own flaws, the tendency to overthink or over analyze is definitely at the top of the list for me. To be honest, I feel like I overthink just about everything more than necessary. From how I should give a friend advice or respond to an email at work, to what kind of cone I want at the ice cream shop or which space is better to use in the parking lot – most of my decisions get true, sincere contemplation. The more serious or sensitive I feel the situation is, the more time I take to decide. The result of my overthinking? Most notably would be procrastination or in some cases, not making my decision at all and having it made for me.
While the results of my overthinking can be a challenge at times, looking back, I’ve also realized that being slow to make certain decisions has been a huge asset.
I took a long time to officially decide where I wanted to attend college. When I was twenty-one and met a new guy that I really liked and felt a strong connection with, I still waited a while before I made the choice to be in a relationship with him. And after I moved to Washington, D.C. a year ago and soon realized it wasn’t the right place for me like I had hoped or expected, I hit the “pause button” on any decisions for a couple of months before I ultimately chose to quit my job and relocate back to my hometown.
Thoughtful Choices
The result of those slow decisions? I loved the university I attended and would choose it all over again if I had to. That relationship turned out to be one of the most special and significant of my life. And moving back to my hometown led me to new job that I absolutely love and a peaceful contentment with living back in my home area. Put simply, I’m so glad I took my time with all of those decisions.
Avoiding haste or impulsive choices not only gave me reassurance in the steps I was taking, it also made things tie together exactly as they were meant to be and just at the right time. In hindsight, I realize that had I made those decisions any sooner, some things would have turned out much differently and not necessarily for the better.
The reality is, our flaws will always exist in some way or another – but we have the option to see them differently. If we change our lens from time to time, we may just notice how valuable our flaws can really be.
Kiara Hall is a proud millennial and a firm believer in the power of storytelling to share knowledge, inspire ideas, and foster change. Passionate about the discussion of social, economic, and political issues on a national and global scale—especially those relating to women and girls—she’s a blossoming writer that aspires to create meaningful content to contribute to that space.