Cultivating Imperfection: Braving Imperfection in a Perfectly Imperfect World.

Welcome to My Blog and Thank You for Being Here!

An Introduction to My Journey.

I'm Ali, and I love that you are here. Words, quotes, and lyric are one of my many love languages. The word "Perfect" and its opposite "Imperfect" actually made it into both my husband and I's vows. They are words I have spent a lot of time getting to know. By nature I used to be a glorified perfectionist in my schoolwork, my career, and my presence. Then there were some moments that challenged me that made me realize the more I tried to control things, the less happy I was. That's where the word "Cultivate" comes into play. In the land of gardening cultivate literally means to break up the hard soil. To loosen it so that it makes it easier for plants to root and grow. It is the first step toward a harvest. Consider these musings an invitation to go softly, to go slowly, and to explore the in-between spaces of the landscapes we are imagining our own lives to be someday.

Photo I took in July of 2020 on the wall of Lululemon Southport in Chicago

Creating your Own Algorithm

I took this photo about a year after I created my IG handle @cultivatingimperfection. At that time I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, the Instagram account. I didn't have any posts on it, I was simply using it to follow the great thinkers and authors that I found to be inspirational. It was my attempt at controlling the algorithm. I didn't have any friends on there except my neighbor turned podcast co-host Tina's food allergy blog @fromscratchwithlovecooking. She and I would pass little slip streams to each other that we found, but other than that I had no interaction or engagement with friends or family. After sending this photo to my friend, I got a little braver and started to post things I was learning about. It was a digital memory board I thought, no one needs to see them besides me. Then I joined an online women's bookclub, an online/zoom coaching program, and a women's mindfulness group that was offered by my doctors practice. I was able to use the handle the connect with the souls I was meeting along the way. We were able to share a common language, one that I wasn't quite ready to share with family and friends... the language of the Self and of Belonging. Little by little there were doorways opening that I hadn't seen before. I was noticing more, I was feeling more, I was connecting more.

Cultivating Imperfection

"Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves." — The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

We all have heard the phrase the more "connected" we are the more "disconnected" we have become. Our lives leave us little breadcrumbs to the doorways in. That photo you took and maybe aren't quite sure why? Or maybe it's the shadow thats calling us home. Another phrase we often hear is "we become what we give attention to". What algorithms are we feeding into? Is there a reason why? Don't worry, this blog is NOT my attempt to prescribe you a set of rules for living your best life. This blog is my attempt at offering ourselves some Grace and meeting you exactly where we are in this moment. We will explore the in-between spaces, the fault lines, the cracks in the surface, the whispers and synchronicities. My hope is that you may begin to cultivate and nurture the seeds you have sewn into your life.

I welcome you to like, comment, head to @cultivatingimperfection my Instagram, or join in the conversations at Soulfulstreaming.com to reach out or become a guest!

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