Being flawless is over rated. I should know. I excel at being deficient in almost everything I do. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Surprised?

Who among us gets to be the very best at something? Sure – we all know somebody who is at the top of their field or someone who does something better than the rest of us. We’ve all probably got a trophy or a ribbon among our keepsakes. But perfect? Nah.

Yet, there are times when we miss out on great things because we fear not being impeccable. For example: There is no place I’d rather be than at the beach. I love being in the ocean, playing in the surf, walking along the shore, collecting seashells. That means facing every woman’s worst fear on a daily basis in the summer – Yes, I put on a bathing suit. It ain’t pretty.

But, do you know what’s far uglier? Regret. If summer ended and I had not been in the ocean, my heart would be heavy. To think of the memories that I’d have missed with the grandkids and with my friends – that would be a real loss. So, I suck it up and allow myself to be imperfect. Surrounded by other less than ideal bodies, who cares? (Even the ones who are close to perfect don’t believe it!) I wouldn’t trade my time at the beach for anything!

I cannot imagine being an old woman looking back on my life to see all of the things I wished I had tried but did not, because I feared not being good at it. Every day, I celebrate my imperfection! I jokingly say that I sing in the church choir because it’s the only place I can sing publicly and not be asked to leave. When I practice my fiddle, the cat cries. For every decent photo that I share, there are at least ten that are deleted. My manuscript? Let’s just say the publishers are not exactly fighting over it. Yet…. I continue to practice. I take more pictures. I write more stories. And I sing – every. single. day. All of these things bring me such great joy.

What are you missing out on because of fear? Dancing? I think that’s a big one, especially for the guys. Karaoke? Swimming?

When I am breathing my last, it’s not the things I did that I’ll regret – It’s the things I didn’t do. I fill my life with as much as time allows. Every day is a great big wonderful imperfect adventure! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

See you at the beach this summer?