Accepting yourself for who you are is a powerful act of self-love. But the next step is accepting yourself right now, not who you plan to be, or who you want to be.
It is extremely common to keep pushing yourself toward a goal and grinding to be a certain version of yourself. In fact, “Hustle Culture” is glorified and encouraged in American society.
But when you are constantly working toward the next thing or your “ideal” self, it is easy to forget and disregard love for the incredible person you already are, right now.
How To Begin Accepting Yourself
Accepting yourself, flaws and all isn’t an easy task. This means to acknowledge ALL of yourself – the good, the bad, and the areas where you want to improve.
We truly are our worst critics, so looking at all of our vulnerabilities laid out can be extremely painful, but it is the first step to acceptance. The next step is practicing self-love.
Practicing Self-Love
Self-love is just like any other skill that needs to be practiced. It doesn’t come naturally for everyone but it gets easier over time. This can be as simple as (maybe awkwardly) looking into the mirror and audibly telling yourself “I love you”.
The more you hear it, the more you will start to believe in the love and feel it. Be kind to yourself and focus on being who you are in the moment with meditation or yoga. Go deep and practice gratitude and love for who are you right now, because that person is already good enough.
Bettering Yourself in a Healthy Way
Many of us are on a journey of self-improvement, and that is amazing. However, it is important to allow yourself room to make mistakes and to fall off track. Growth isn’t linear and it looks different for everyone.
That future you who has met all of her goals is just as good as you right now. She is just as worthy of love and just as important. The sooner you can start to recognize that and believe that, your eyes will open to so much of the beauty in and around you.
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