Do you like yourself?
It may surprise you to find out how many people lack the ability to accept themselves for who they are. Many people are able to put up a façade so they appear self-confident when they really are anything but. The good news is that, even if you find that you are one of these people, you can learn how to better accept yourself. If you suffer from low self worth or confidence, you already have the ability to turn things around!
Why is it important to accept yourself?
It is important to accept yourself because that single shift in your thinking can prove to be the difference between a life of happiness and a life of sadness. When you accept yourself, you are much more likely to accomplish more of what you want in your life. That’s because self-acceptance is a foundation. After you accept yourself, you can continue to build from there and add on the other important attributes like confidence, tranquility, enthusiasm, drive and happiness.
How do I get better at accepting myself?
1. Allow for errors. Sometimes you will try way too hard to be perfect, and this is in and of itself, a mistake. Allow yourself to make mistakes because you are after all, human. Just like everyone else, you will make some little errors and some big mistakes in life, but it is in how you bounce back from them that will make difference in whether you go forward, or stay stuck.
2. Live in today. One of the reason that you may not have accepted yourself could be that you are too busy living your life in the past. Perhaps you find that you are unable to forgive yourself for something that happened or a certain trait that you have. Getting over the past is a huge step in building up your confidence, self-respect, and hope for the future.
3. Stop comparing! Avoid comparing yourself with others. Other people have different skill sets and life experiences than you. You must soon or late come to terms with the fact that you cannot have what everyone else has. You are uniquely you! And you likely have many things that others do not. Each and every person is a unique set of talents, gifts, abilities, opportunities. Learn to be grateful for what makes you different from everyone else, as this is part of your own inner beauty and charm.
4. Set realistic goals. If you do not set and maintain realistic goals, you will be setting yourself up for failure. Set realistic and manageable goals that you can achieve with confidence. Challenge yourself, but be a realist also.
5. Be comfortable in your own skin. Sometimes you don’t want to accept yourself because of the way you look. Society puts some serious pressure on people in that way. Remember that those people in magazines are usually airbrushed and you should not be striving to look like them. Instead, focus on your own positive attributes and overall health.
6. Positive thinking. One of the most important accomplishments on the journey to accepting yourself is learning to think positively. It is very easy to forget how much power there is in your thinking. If you make the effort to think a certain way, you can actually change your manner of thinking and, eventually, change your actions. Positive thinking leads to positive actions, which lead to feeling better about yourself in general.
7. Get help and support from loved ones. Keep in mind that you can always ask for help from your loved ones. You can always tap into your support network. It can sometimes be very helpful to get an outside perspective on your what you are dealing with. Everyone tends to be their own worst critic, but you can count on your loved ones for their generous support and love. Your loved ones have obviously accepted you for who you are. And, you will be a much happier camper once you have come to the same realization as well.
These are just a few of the strategies that you can try out. Once you learn to accept yourself, you will find that the world is a wonderful place and you will enjoy your place in it!
Thoughts?
Photo Credit: deeplifequotes via Compfight cc
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