Accepting Oneself

I used to be somewhat envious of people who had high energy, who seemed to accomplish things while I was still thinking about it, who moved through life like a whirlwind. I attributed to them as having more confidence, more capacity, more success than I did.

I tried for so long to be like them. But after years of pushing myself to be something I was not – I came to understand that I have a different nature and way of being. And when I came to accept that and actually came to love the way I move through life, you know what? I was happier and so were those around me! I became more productive, more energized and more successful.

I discovered there isn’t always a right or wrong way to do things other than finding your right or wrong way. What an amazing realization!

The fact is, I move through life a little slower. I like to think and I like to think about what I’m thinking. I feel a lot and quickly connect with how others are feeling. I can easily get scattered. I have a tendency to change my mind and get uptight when my schedule is overloaded. I could go on and on but you get the idea.

When I judged these characteristics as being flaws and weaknesses, I felt weakened and small. Coming to see them as strengths and gifts and part of my uniqueness, empowered me.

When we judge characteristics as bad or wrong, we shortchange ourselves and the world – our personal world and the world at large. For while we are busy judging ourselves as being deficient we are not able to share our unique perspectives, insights and gifts with our world, our families, our neighbors and all those we come in contact with.

Have you found yourself judging parts of you as being weak, less than, or not good enough? Are you closing yourself off to the gifts that are uniquely yours? Of course, we are always striving to be our best selves, but there is a difference between judging ourselves as lacking and accepting and striving to be our best.

The only way to truly be able to help others is by first recognizing and accepting who you are and what you have to share. There are people needing YOU and those exact gifts that only you have!

Take a moment today and look at the parts of you that you are judging as lacking and stop the judgment. Instead, look at those characteristics with love, with kindness and with eyes willing to see the good in them, in you.

Accept your true nature and you will find, the world becomes more accepting of you.

Love,