Self-Acceptance: The Transformational Step Between ‘Who You Are’ and ‘Who You Are Becoming’

“Self-acceptance is the acknowledgement of who you are. From here you employ conscious intention and deliberate action to move you into who you are choosing to become.” – Dorothy ZENNURIYE JUNO

 Please check out the link at the bottom for a beautiful Guided Meditation on Self-Acceptance that will transform how you think and feel about yourself.

Self-acceptance is the ability to love and appreciate who you are even as you may continue to seek change, personal growth and transformation.

Self-acceptance is your ability to see yourself with the highest level of self-honesty that conveys heightened awareness and absolute truth ~ and then to acknowledge and own this truth as what you live.

Self-acceptance is the antecedent to change and growth.  It implies that you are self-aware and honest in acknowledging all that you are ~ even as you may wish to change, shed, or embrace and embody more completely ~ all of you.  This is also a spiritual practice of self-study or svadhyaya.

Who you are is a fusing of multiple elements – all in a constant state of flow – that become (through your deliberate will) all of the greatness that you believe is possible and that you realize through your conscious and deliberate effort.

To become all of who you are capable of is possible when you are first truthful in the presence of who you are.

Self-acceptance does not ask that you point blame or be disparaging.  It is simply the admittance of what ‘is’ ~ of yourself, your thoughts and actions, your beliefs and values ~ and in the absence of judgment ~ rather in deciding all that you will continue to be.

To speak and live your truth is the ultimate expression of self-acceptance.

Begin by acknowledging the qualities and characteristics that you admire and appreciate about yourself.

You begin here because you want to first remember ~ and to be mindful of the qualities that you hold that are uniquely beautiful and of what you can be proud of.

Your willingness to write these is a direct expression of naming the core values you hold.  This gives you a deeper level of self-awareness.

Self-acceptance is the direct path to building higher self-esteem and self-worth.

Out of self-acceptance you acknowledge the less favourable parts of you (for example, your intolerance for others’ differences, for judging others unfairly, being unkind or purposely hurtful as a reaction to someone else hurting you, and of course for all of the ways that you are unkind and hurtful directed towards yourself.)

Self-Acceptance is a willingness to practice loving kindness of yourself that extends to the aspects of you that you seek to change.

Self-Acceptance supports your personal growth and evolution.  It is what you rely on to feel encouraged, self-approval and belief. 

Choose encouraging words and self-kindness as you embrace personal change.  This is how you experience your authentic power.

Your ability to live inspired as you pursue and manifest your dreams is proof of the power of kindness and love directed inward ~ in the presence of accepting yourself and in your deserving to feel good about yourself.

I help clients practice self-acceptance as a rite of passage (‘a stepping stone’) that takes them from where they are (including a lack of awareness and self-denial), to intentional transformation. 

One of the benefits of having someone you can trust to mirror what they observe and witness of you, is that this helps you better understand your behaviours, your existing beliefs and it gives you answers to ‘how’ you can change. 

Understanding why we need to make a change helps us uncover the habit or belief that underlies what we are currently doing (or don’t do).  This allows for a greater ease in which to transform.

When you are able to honestly examine and acknowledge the significance of your thoughts and any problematic or unhealthy core beliefs that are beneath those thoughts, you can then take the action to towards who you want to become.

You have a choice the moment you acknowledge what is true.  Avoiding or denying truth keeps you immersed in the effort to escape it.

In this way, self-acceptance is the catalyst towards self-transformation and wholeness.

Use the following sentence stem to help illicit the unconscious (and often hidden) aspects of yourself that you do accept. 

Repeat the sentence stem at least 6-10 times.  Each time that you do, write a new ending for it ~ based on the inspired consciousness of your free flowing thoughts.

Pay attention to what it feels like to acknowledge and accept these revelations of who you are ~ that emerge.

I accept that I am…

1.   …

2.  …

3.  …

4.  …

5.  …

6.  …

Next ask: “What do I not accept about myself?”

(If you do not accept certain aspects of yourself, will will you do with this information?)

Choose to be self-accepting of the parts of you that are unchangeable ~ for example the shape of your eyes or your height and consider instead what you are willing to change; what you believe is worth changing ~ and to accept that change can also mean improving upon an aspect of yourself that you already appreciate and love.  (for example, being more physically fit).

Change is the impetus for growth and for accepting that we all thrive from forward motion, improvement, and self-evolution.

It is best when we can follow our inner urgings to make the changes that we know that are needed and which fuel our happiness and allow us to embrace our desires and the yearning of something more.

Remember that self-acceptance is the kindness you choose to acknowledge and speak inwardly and aloud.

When you actively practice self-acceptance as intentional kindness directed inward, you further anchor the positive feelings that you deserve to feel and that encourage you to continue to be all that you can.

A final thought…

Through self-acceptance you heighten your awareness to live out of your free will choice.

You can choose to act out of authenticity and to be loving kindness ~ or you can allow your ego to be in charge.

Acting out of your ego-mind, your thoughts are fear-based and do not represent your true ‘self’.

‘Self’ as defined by eastern philosophies is the core essence of who we truly are.

Our core self (our soul consciousness) is pure, loving, and always truthful.

Self-Acceptance is a sacred practice that acts as guidance to help you to choose how you will be.  It is the empowered action of your truth (your authentic nature) that is self-guiding, self-driven, and of course,  self-love.

Sat Nam!

Please check out my Guided Meditation on Self-Acceptance that will transform how you feel about yourself.  It’s so very beautiful and powerful!  Please give yourself some time in quiet to take it all in and feel free to do it often.