In a world where we are regularly exposed to other people and their seemingly perfect lives, it can be hard to keep your head above water. Feelings of inadequacy, jealousy and confusion about who and what you are can crop up and steer you away from the goals you want to achieve. I believe that self-acceptance is the antidote to all those negative feelings which can often-times translate into our actions.
If you want to:
Love and accept yourself
Feel at peace with your choices and actions
Build and foster genuine connections
Understand and manage your emotions
Then this post is definitely for you. Self-acceptance is the key to ensuring your overall well-being is being nurtured and protected. There are tools that you can use to hone your “skill” that is self-acceptance continuously.
The first step is recognising that some of the standards we set for ourselves are unrealistic. Either they are too high, or they are not even in line with our own moral and value system. This discrepancy comes from pitting ourselves against what we see in the media. It also often stems from what is the norm of the time.
No, you don’t have to get married right away. No, you don’t have to do the degree everyone is telling you to do. No, you don’t have to look like a Victoria Secret model. No, you don’t have to be the tough guy.
Staying true to yourself and accepting yourself, flaws and all will allow you to grow. Growth will occur through the many mistakes we all make in life. It is in these moments where we can choose to pick ourselves up and learn, or we can berate ourselves and stagnate.
Seeing yourself for who you truly are, in a compassionate and caring way will allow you to confront your strengths and weaknesses more readily. In doing this, not only do you have an accurate reflection of who you are, but you will have the ability to reconcile the different parts of ourselves. Creating unity and peace with-in can have tremendous effects on the peace and unity found in your outer world.
I suggest you start by:
Criticising and judging yourself less. All this does is affect our emotional, mental and physical health negatively. Being brash and destructive to yourself in thought will only manifest more outwardly.
Seek less approval from those that don’t matter. Worrying and fixating on the opinions of others will only lead to you serving their plan or idea of what is right as opposed to your own.
Don’t deny yourself or your personality just to fit in. Why should you dampen your inner voice, beliefs and expression? All this does is lessen your self-esteem and confidence, and it does not foster genuine connection.
Follow this with:
Embracing all of yourself. The good, the bad, the pretty and the ugly. Embrace yourself unconditionally.
Look inward. Spend more time focusing on yourself and less time worrying about others and trying to emulate their behaviour or actions.
Allow yourself to shine. Love and embrace yourself. Yes, it is essential to build other people up and to have their backs. But it is also important to start caring for yourself the way you would anyone else.
Remind yourself always that significant victories are often made up of little victories. Face your fears and keep going.
These are just some of the small changes you can make in your life! I offer one on one sessions where I delve in-depth into these subject, and I equip you with the tools to make an impact in your own life. Please contact me for more information.
