Accepting Ourselves – Making Peace with All Our Stuff

Self-acceptance is something many of us struggle with, whether or not we have experienced mental health issues or addictions. It’s a pretty standard thing in human nature to have insecurities, dislike parts of ourselves, feel ashamed, and even hate ourselves. We base our opinions of ourselves on all kinds of factors, both inside and outside of ourselves: the judgments and criticisms of others, our status in society, our accomplishments, comparisons to other people, the expectations we have for ourselves and those others have for us, the mistakes we’ve made, the regrets we hold onto.

We carry a lot of burdensome weight when we reject parts of ourselves. When we can’t accept ourselves for who we really are, we often find ourselves in inner turmoil that affects all different areas of our lives: managing our emotions, processing our thoughts, making decisions, maintaining relationships. We can find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, scared, worried, anxious, and sad. We might feel inadequate, like we just aren’t enough, no matter what we do. We may feel inferior, like other people are better than us, and we don’t measure up.

What would it be like to feel unconditional self-acceptance? What would it look like to love yourself, right in this very moment? If you’re like many of us, there’s a little voice inside that often fills you with fear, doubts, judgments and comparisons. You might think things like, “well I love myself, but I hate my body.” Or “how can I love myself? I’m broke.”

How liberating would it be to love ourselves not despite our flaws, but including them? To see our “imperfections” as part of what makes us unique, special and strong. To realize that perfection is an illusion, and that striving for inner peace instead feels much better. How would it feel to take our biggest mistakes and wrongs and have forgiveness for ourselves? What was once our weakness could be our greatest source of power, when we open ourselves up to allowing that. Can we choose to see vulnerability and humility as strengths?

If we’re open to it, we can choose to see our struggles as necessary parts of our evolution. Our pain is an integral part of the journey. We wouldn’t be who we are without it. If we can figure out ways to be happy and find inner peace, it will all have been worth it. Accept yourself, just as you are, right in this moment. Of course there will be things about yourself and your life that you want to improve upon or change, or let go of altogether- that’s a part of life- but can we love and accept ourselves along the way?

Coming to terms with our mental health issues and addictions is not easy, and self-acceptance can be one of the hardest parts. Let Enlightened Solutions help; we’ve been there. Call (833) 801-LIVE.