Originally Posted by
SparkleKitty 
The key for me was self-acceptance.
Yep, me too. True self-acceptance negated the need for external validation.
Originally Posted by lizatola
What has helped you get over your need and inner desire to be perfect?
(cough, cough) Brene Brown's work helped me tremendously in this area. She speaks about this specific topic often in her books/videos.
Originally Posted by lizatola
To have acceptance and love from everyone and to be liked all the time?
In NO way to I expect to be liked all the time, never mind loved. People form their opinions & ideas of good/bad normal/not over many years & through the lens of their own life experiences. I don't aim for total acceptance, I aim for aligning myself with those who share enough of my own perspective to develop deeper relationships.
In the cases where I can't control that - like at work I'm exposed to co-workers that I have no say over hiring/firing - it's all about boundaries, detachment & not taking their opinions personally.