One Thing to Improve Your Life and the World Around You Tremendously.
Be like Phoebe Buffay!
Would you like you, if you met you?
When I first came across this line, I was blown away! I had never asked myself this question before. Do we ever stop and ask ourselves that?
In simpler terms, it means before we ask others to accept us, have we even accepted ourselves?
Self-acceptance is both a start and an end in itself.
Once you accept yourself, you start to see the world differently. And also, the need for external validation ends.
This article will help you understand both why and how you should accept yourself.
Why do You Need to Accept Yourself?
It is as Tyrion Lannister remarks brilliantly,
“Never forget who you are. The world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.”
I have been an overweight person for most of my life. As a result, I have also been bullied and fat-shamed extensively.
It shattered my confidence and self-esteem. Made it difficult for me to accept myself.
I know firsthand how difficult it can be to accept yourself when you are constantly being reminded that you are not good enough.
It is like being a sports car running with handbrakes on.
Accepting yourself unleashes your true potential.
It Shifts Your Worldview.
Unless you accept yourself, you will never be able to accept others fully.
After all, we are only as kind to others as we are to ourselves.
I have always been someone who accepted others as they were. I’d like to believe that. On the contrary, I have always had trouble accepting myself.
I always came across this quote “Accept yourself first, to accept others. ”
But I never really understood it.
I felt that I don’t have to accept myself to accept others. I am doing just fine in accepting and loving others for who they are.
It was only when I accepted myself for who I am, I could notice how my intensity towards accepting other people skyrocketed.
It also made me happier and calmer. The more you accept yourself, the less opinions of others matter. And that leads to mental peace and happiness.
If you think about it, it was Phoebe’s self-acceptance that made her stand out from the rest of her friends.
She had the most struggling life growing up. Her mother killed herself. She lived on the street. I did a bunch of whacky stuff.
But she accepted herself. Fully. In all her quirks and idiosyncrasies.
It would do all of us really good if we could be more like Phoebe!
As we have gone over why we need to accept ourselves, let’s go over how you can begin the journey to self-acceptance.
How To Accept Yourself?
These two are the most effective tools for self-acceptance.
Being Kind to Yourself.
Understand why you are the way you are and what events shaped your personality.
Don’t be harsh on yourself. Years of negative self-talk make it easy to get in the habit of blaming ourselves for everything. But blaming solves nothing.
Instead, ask yourself, “What is one thing that I can take up and look to improve?”
Start with that, and then build on it from there.
Accept yourself, while also looking for ways to improve. That is how you build serious confidence and level up in life.
Understanding That Everybody Is Flawed!
And that’s a good thing.
No one has it all figured out or has a perfect life. No matter how much it looks like that from the outside.
Our flaws are supposed to bind us, not steer us away from each other.
Our experiences are bridges, not ravines. — Conversations on Love
Closing Thoughts
Accepting yourself requires empathy and self-compassion.
Once you can be empathetic and compassionate to yourself, you can extend these golden gifts to the world.
It is truly liberating to accept yourself for who you are.
Try it and see for yourself.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this article, feel free to clap and to share it with others who may appreciate it. Thank you!