The journey to self-acceptance is not an easy one.
And I kid you not.
Admittedly, it's not exactly a walk in the park when you have to embrace yourself whole and love yourself fully, coming from past experiences filled with pain and which made you doubt yourself and your worth in the process.
Along the way, those triggers can wreck havoc in your own mental health and over all-wellbeing. And that's exactly the space we want to avoid at all costs.
However, we must bear in mind this important reminder: self-acceptance is a super power. It's something that will allow us to push further in life, no matter what happens and it helps anchor us to what matters most at the end of the day and not be swayed by the judgments of others (and our own too).
Seeing the value of self-acceptance in our personal journey towards our own #bestmeever , I believe that commitment to personal growth and happiness is key. Something which can be made possible if one is totally clear with his own set of values, experiences and beliefs.
Comparing yourself with others make you feel something is lacking or something is wrong with you, which isn't exactly the case to begin with. Respect the fact that we all have different journeys and levels of success so there's no point in comparing. Learn to be comfortable in your own space as you grow at your own pace. Remember, wherever you are right now in life is where you're meant to be. And there's nothing wrong with that because that space is preparing you for better days ahead. P.S. Nobody's perfect so stop looking at others as if they were.
2. Acknowledge your progress
No matter how small it may seem at a glance, acknowledge every step forward that you've made because that brings you closer to your goals. Try to reflect on your journey and celebrate how far you've gone. You may not be at the finish line yet and that's ok. In time, with your commitment to yourself and your growth, you'll make it. Know that if you're doing the best that you can, with all that you have, that's more than enough. Learn to be comfortable with being a work in progress. You're doing a good job just being yourself.
3. Highlight your strengths
There's something special about you and it's up to you to turn your potential into something great. Do an inventory of your skills or what you're good at. What do people compliment you about? Work on them. Share them to the rest of the world. There will always be a space for you to share yourself and your gifts so never disregard your own valuable existence.
4. Practice self-compassion
Forgive yourself for whatever shortcomings you may had, for expectations about yourself that weren't met, for flaws that life may have pointed out to you in the process. Stop blaming yourself for things beyond your control. Remember, being unkind to yourself won't ever resolve your problem on hand. Working around your "flaws" and seeing the good within as you affirm yourself, will.
5. Do away with assumptions
Don't let your non-existent worries get in the way of loving yourself more. Remember, the only thing that's sure here is that you need to accept yourself fully so you can maximize your potential. All other fears, assumptions shouldn't matter. You can't control the reactions of others or the circumstances surrounding you. What you can control though is how you respond to them coming from your authentic, empowered self born from full self-acceptance. Note that you spend the same amount of energy focusing on what went wrong and not getting any better in the process, and in focusing on what can go right and allow your hope to pull you through. Choose what's best for you in the long run.
Self-acceptance is a choice we have to make every single day.
And hopefully, as you remember these tips, you commit to that fully.
Because you deserve to choose yourself over and over again.
As you are. And all that you will ever be.
Nobody’s perfect.
And that’s a fact.
But guess what?
It’s perfectly ok.
So stop beating yourself up for “flaws” which make you feel less of a person.
Because in, reality, they don’t.
Know that as you are, you are perfectly amazing.
If you’re still struggling with loving your imperfections, then allow me to share with you these 5 ways to allow you to embrace them fully.
Only you can see your true worth. So set your own standards. You don’t have to stress yourself fitting into someone else’s mould. Create your own. Your beauty makes you uniquely special, so don’t ever compare yourself with someone else. Just appreciate your own because by doing that, you’ll know that there’s so much to love about you.
2. Make your flaws inspiring
Somewhere out there, someone needs to hear your story of how you embraced your flaws and imperfections. Whether it’s a physical insecurity, a disability, a circumstance … these can be turned into powerful inspirations, only if you see the true purpose behind each. Come from that space.
3. Count your blessings
Your flaws shouldn’t define you and your happiness. Look around you. Inquire within. What else can you be grateful for? There’s more to life than just focusing on things that are “less than perfect.” Focus on what matters more instead: what gives you genuine joy, fulfillment and wholeness. You can always choose to work around your imperfections and see things in a different light.
4. Surround yourself with inspiring advocates
All over the world, there are other people like you who may have experienced the same thing but have chosen to rise above the situation and empower others instead. Choose to find (and be with) your role models and people who bring out the best in you. Self-Check: If they can see beyond your flaws, why can’t you?
5. Affirm yourself daily
Give yourself that much needed confidence boost by facing the mirror every single day and loving the person you’re seeing daily, genuinely. Empower yourself with positive words you need to hear that will allow you to be your authentic, unapologetic and grandest version of yourself, your own #bestmeever . Don’t wait for others to validate you because as you are, you can give yourself that much needed love, acceptance and understanding. And your own affirmation will always be more than enough.
I hope that now you can see how “FLAWsome” you are.
Time to give yourself a tight hug. And a whole lot of love.
Fact: We all want to become our own #bestmeever
The thing is though, it takes a whole lot of work, commitment, trust and love to journey within.
To heal from the past, accept the now and gain clarity of our biggest visions in life as we discover self-empowerment takes time (and effort, mind you).
In some cases though, it takes longer for others because of these things that prevent them from having a smooth journey towards their best.
Ok, your journey, is yours alone. It’s totally different from anyone else’s in this planet. So every time you compare (and contrast) your progress with that of others, you allow yourself to get distracted. In the end, no matter how your journey goes, know that it’s meant to teach you important lessons so you can own your best version eventually.
2. Stressing over the little things
No journey is perfect. And guess what? The little bumps along the way make each one even more exciting. So stop sweating over the small stuff. It’s a waste of time and energy. I mean details matter and all and it wouldn’t hurt to double check along the way. However, in the event that there are unforeseen circumstances where things don’t go as planned, if it’s not life changing, just take a deep breath and let go. Nothing is worth more than your inner peace.
3. Expectations
Never attach your own happiness to mere expectations. Instead of conditioning yourself that you will be happy when you achieve this and that, why not try to be happy in the now, with all things as is, as you are. There are so many things to be grateful and happy about at present so allow yourself to grow in harmony with the now.
4. Pleasing others too much
You are not every one’s servant at their beck and call so stop thinking and acting like one. Remember, you also have the obligation to take care of yourself and give yourself what is due. So start saying ‘NO’ to others so you can say ‘YES’ more to yourself and your growth. At the end of the day, even if you don’t get the nod of others, the best person to please will always be yourself. And that will always be more than enough.
5. Putting yourself last
Making yourself a priority is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. There’s totally nothing wrong about considering your own needs and wants. Remember, taking care of yourself first will also allow you to take care of others more eventually. It has to start from you though as you give yourself the love and affection that you willingly give to others. How can you give what you don’t have? Self-empowerment comes first my dear.
I hope this list will help you catch yourself as you journey towards your best.
I look forward to seeing your own #bestmeever unfold soon.
