Why I Stopped Chasing Perfection and Found Joy in the Chaos

Let me ask you something, are you the type to meticulously arrange your life, one perfectly placed throw pillow and one flawlessly curated social media post at a time?

Or maybe you know someone like that, the type who seems to have it all together and determined to make sure the world knows it…

The thing is, I’m sure that if you looked closely at this person you’d start to see the cracks in the facade. 

You’d see the exhaustion in their eyes, the downturn of their lips, the tension in their shoulders and pain in their backs. 

You’d see the terrible truth: perfection is a filthy lie. 

How do I know?

Because I used to be that person, chasing after the unattainable with dogged determination, fuelled by the plethora of social media posts and ‘how to’ blogs that made it seem like this was the natural order of things.

I drank deeply of the kool-aide Script-Breakers and paid for it.

 I wanted a perfect career, a perfect body, a perfect relationship, and a perfect life, but I didn’t think it could be done without controlling it all in my own way.

So I spent my days rearranging the furniture of my life, hoping that if I just moved one more thing, everything would finally fall into place.

 But perfection is a moving target, isn't it? 

It changes depending on my mood, the weather, and what I just saw on Instagram.

 It's an illusion, a beautiful mirage that promises everything, and gives you nothing.

But then, after burning out on chasing that illusion, I had an epiphany. 

I was so busy trying to control everything-and failing- that I wasn't actually living. 

Sure I was aging, eating and finding more things to pick at….but I wasn’t actually healthy, wasn’t well rested or hydrated.

 I was so focused on being perfect that I was missing out on the joy, the mess, the unpredictable beauty of it all. 

And that's when I decided to trade in my pursuit of perfection for a little bit of glorious chaos.

And let me tell you, it's been the best decision I've ever made.

Chaos has allowed me to go with the flow, to entertain thoughts that feel better and doubt myself less. 

It’s a sign that I'm alive and well, an unscripted reality that reminds me I'm living my own life, not someone else's.

 I've learned that a little chaos does wonders for the soul. 

It forces you to be present, to find the beauty in the broken, and to stop trying to control every single thing- because for the love of Earth, you just cannot.

The best moments in life aren't the ones you planned. 

They're the unexpected detours, the spontaneous dance parties in the living room, the late-night talks that turn into a three-hour marathon with your bestie. 

Those are the moments that make life worth living.

So, here's my advice, darling: Stop chasing perfection. 

Embrace the beautiful mess that is your life. 

And trust me, you'll find so much more joy in the chaos than you ever would in the perfectly curated.

XOXO, 

Ashlee