I bet you complain about having to deal with the bad version of yourself everyday, about how you look, what you do on a daily basis and the fact that you are always making mistakes. Or simply: not being good enough.

You are always judging yourself and don’t make room for positive thinking, especially when it comes to talking about yourself.

“The greatest success, is successful self acceptance”  – Ben Sweet

Self-acceptance is being aware of the bad and the good in you. It is accepting the fact that you have strengths as much as you have weaknesses. You can be happy and successful even though you are not 100% perfect! Self-acceptance is a challenge. Take a deep breath… and prepare yourself for change!

Perfection is not real. We all make mistakes and do bad things in life. What makes the difference is whether we did something about it or not. You do not have to be ashamed of who you are nor what you did. A mistake can either help you or destroy you, and it is up to you to make the choice. 

Accept that thing that bothers you and move on. Easier said than done, I know. But nothing is ever that easy, we always need to make the effort. You cannot go back in time and change it, but you can make it a lesson for you and develop yourself.

Write down your feelings, describe how you feel and what you think about. This will help you process that thing and deal better with it. It is never too late.

Mistakes are not the only thing getting in the way of your self-acceptance. Maybe you do not like how you look. Maybe i am too skinny, too fat, too ugly, too stupid… We all had our share of self-judgment, but not all of us dealt with it and left it behind. Some of us are unconsciously blocking good things from happening to them, feeling guilty about things they cannot control and hating themselves.

Stop! What did you benefit so far from hating yourself? Did it at least help you get what you want? Are you satisfied? Of course not.

Then what are you waiting for?

• Embrace yourself

Stop being so hard on yourself, and accept it. Whether you like it or not, it is your life, your body, your identity, your hair, your face, your grades, your family… And you can either complain, or do something about it! Start seeing the cup as half full, and make some changes. 

Accept your weaknesses, you are human! Being weak is not a problem, but you need to be as strong. Life is not easy, and the challenges are even harder. You need to be strong, but you are allowed to be weak too. It is the balance! 

Accept your personality and behavior, but changing them is also an option. If you think you need to change something about yourself, then do not hesitate! Just make sure you are doing it for yourself to be and get better, not for people’s sake.

Accepting who you are is the first step toward success. It makes you in a better position to take control over your life.

“We cannot change anything unless we accept it” – Carl Jung

• Start

It is about time to see the bright side of the situation. Think about the good things about yourself, be there for YOURSELF.

You do not like your body? Go to the gym. I need to remind you that our mental health has a big impact on our bodies. If you think you are good enough, worth it, beautiful, smart and deserve a better life… Trust me, your body will follow.

The inner beauty is not about having a beautiful mind! It is about our perception of life, how we deal with our problems, how we change our lives, how we achieve our goals despite the bad circumstances, how we treat people, but most importantly, how we treat ourselves. 

Your personality is a reflection of your thinking. So be good, do good and stay positive. START!

• Forgive yourself

You do not need to feel guilty about anything. But you have to learn from your mistakes and shift your attention into how you can make the best out of the situation.

Treat yourself how you want to be treated… and you will see the difference!

Accept the past because you definitely cannot change it, but you can change that specific thing you do not like about yourself, the one you think you can do better without.

Say you are sorry, but do not let this mistake take control over you. Feeling guilty makes our mind think that we deserve nothing but the worst in life, and trust me, it is a huge deal and a bigger mistake. 

• Clear your mind

You always need a refill when you are at the coffee shop, right? Do the same thing to your mind!

Learn new things that will help you discover and develop yourself, you might find a version of you that you never thought was there.

You are full of thoughts, ideas, vibes and energy! Whether they are positive or negative, they are there!

That is why you need to clear the clutter from your life! If you want to make some change, you cannot do it unless your mind is clear and ready. You cannot learn anything new unless there is space for more… So, what are you waiting for?

If the world around you is not helping, remember that you can never control what surrounds you. You can only control your life and change yourself. Make that a challenge and do it despite the bad energy around you. You will be even stronger.

One more thing, do not fall in the trap, and think that you are good as long as you accept yourself. Self-acceptance does not mean accepting your bad behaviour and keeping the same bad habits.

Yes! Accept them… but try to do better and develop a positive behaviour instead. It is for your best interest. Self-acceptance is accepting who you are but also developing and improving yourself.

And remember

“No amount of self-improvement can make up for any lack of self-acceptance” – Robert Holden   

Start now, and life will surprise you.