The best way to let go of hiding your imperfections is not to have any. But that may be a bit end of the road, right? To reflect on the things you can do well. That is very important to balance the thought that you have to hide your imperfections. To do more good things, to reflect you can do more good things, to live more with those thoughts in your mind, then when you make a mistake, you are imperfect, to say, "Sorry". As long as you don't claim to be perfect it is easier to make a mistake.
Rosemary and I have never claimed perfection. If we make a mistake, fine, "sorry about that, we've made a mistake". If you are able to say "sorry" very easy and gentle, then there is no need to hide any imperfection. To think that you have to hide it is more of self-hatred, "I don't like who I am." If you actually have a quality that is so imperfect that you don't want it to have then by all means work towards letting it go. Work towards letting go of the quality, not letting go of the wanting to hide it. If you hide your imperfections so well, you may not be able to get any help.
This is classic here, we have had some old students who came to us for long periods of time, and yet they did not talk about everything. They were not open enough in the interviews. For a couple of them, very fortunately, we found out after a couple of years what really was their story. For a long time, we were trying to give advice based on what they were telling us, which was a fake image of themselves. But when we finally found out who they actually were with their imperfections, we were able to give them advice that was spot on and they could change quicker. So by hiding your imperfections from people who can actually help you, then you can create more pain. So reflect on that.
Now, to be a good example does not have to go together with hiding imperfections, but by being a good example it is easier for people to overlook your imperfections. So try to be as good an example as you can.
In this way, you might think to yourself, "Oh, I am a lousy walking meditator, I can't do it well, it is terrible. I'm going to have to do it well so people don't think bad about me." Ok, that would be hiding the imperfection. We force ourselves to walk slower or whatever so that we hide the fact that we hate walking. That is one way to do it. Another person thinks, "I don't like walking, I really hate it, but I am an old student here and I know the new people look at us sometimes, so, well, I really should be a good example for them. To help them I should try to do the walking right." So they try to walk right. Even thought they still hate in inside.
The other person hates it inside, but the other person is doing the walking to hide their aversion and so people would think they are ok, versus this second person doing it not necessarily to hide it, but out of compassion for the other people so that they can help the other person. So, we have two people doing exactly the same thing, with totally different intentions. In this way by encouraging yourself to get on with doing more of the things that you can do well, and by trying to be a good example then we are not focusing on our imperfections, we are not hung up on wanting to hide them.