In reading some material earlier today, I ran across a term that stood out as I was finishing some research.  The word was imperfection and I stared at it for a while as I thought about its meaning.  First the definition, which I found to be simple and to the point; flawed or defective.  It made me wonder how people can at times feel that this characteristic may define them.  Perhaps it was a result of having a poor beginning to life.   As a child one may have faced obstacles much sooner than their counterparts and depending on the circumstance, the feeling of not fitting in may have been someone's reality.  For instance, when I was growing up if you grew up with a single parent it was the exception and not the rule.   Another example could have been growing up in a family where there was any type of substance abuse, this also has long term ramifications for any member of that family and many key defining moments of inadequacy for a young child.  There are many examples of how how one may have had a different beginning than someone else.  The key is what happened to those individuals as they became adults and took control of their own circumstance.  If coming from a broken family was a defining moment for you, then there are wonderful examples of single parent homes where the children grew up and beat the odds that may have been against them.  Among them; Julia Roberts, Barack Obama, Barbra Streisand, John Lennon, Halle Berry, Al Pacino and Tom Cruise.  Also let us not forget that a single mother who was once on public assistance, is now the most famous and successful British author in history, her name is J.K. Rowling, you may have heard of her.  Therefore, I am brought back to the word imperfection and how many successful people may have at one point and time felt that they felt incomplete.  Since we are human we all fall into the dilemma of having these type of negative feelings.  For anyone that may have thought that feeling flawed may have defined them at some point, I say to remember the precious diamond stone.  Before they were diamonds, they were pieces of coal and many of them had flaws that with constant polish created magnificent prized jewelry stones. We must remember that time is the true test and things usually work for the better of all of us in the end.  Let go of any feelings that can cause you to harbor any sense of imperfection and be ready to shine like a true diamond glistening in the sun.