Embracing the one in the mirror

• <img src="https://alwaysgem.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-774866.jpg?w=1024&quot; alt="<strong>Embracing the one in the mirror

  Embracing the one in the mirror

“Self-acceptance is my refusal to be in an adversarial relationship with myself”

Nathaniel Branden

Self-acceptance is being able to take all facets of yourself in a warm embrace — not just the positive, ‘esteemable‘ parts.

No human is born with a healthy self-esteem. A crisis of personal identity seems to be the default state of everyone.

I grew up as a sweet girl who loved everyone, except me. It was easier for me to love a stranger than to love myself.

There were many things I disliked about myself. I didn’t like my dentition, I wished my teeth were smaller and whiter. It seemed I couldn’t help being talkative. My mouth got me into trouble many times. Surprises were usually not planned whenever I was anywhere in sight, because it was certain I’ll spill the gist!

To every other person, I was a lovely girl. But how lovely is a person who doesn’t love herself, huh?

Like me, you may have battled with self-acceptance. Maybe you still do. It’s time for a change, so here’s what to do:

1. Be true to yourself

You have to be realistic and tell yourself the truth. It might be a bitter pill to swallow, but it’s worth it in every way. If you’ve resolved to be sincere, then point 2 is for you.

2. Write down everything you like about yourself

It’s important you do this, it’s not enough to just imagine them in your mind. Write it on a paper where you can see it. You’ve probably had not been affirmed so many times or patted on the back for the lovely qualities you have. It’s time to acknowledge your graces and uniqueness, maybe you have beautiful eyes, supple skin, lengthy hair, nice handwriting. If you are, acknowledge that you are a good communicator, great singer, an amazing cook or caterer and the list goes on.

3. Write down everything you don’t like about yourself.

This might be a tough one for you, do it anyway. We all have one or more traits we wish we never had, bring out all the skeletons in your cupboard. Remember that you have to be true to yourself. You may have a longer list of the negatives. It’s okay if you do, don’t be too hard on yourself.

4. Group the items in the previous list into what you can work on and what you can’t.

5. Take some time to think about what you can change, and how you can go about it. Write it down.

Do you want to start working out to flatten your belly? Maybe you would like to take some courses to improve your English or read more books to add to your vocabulary. Write all that you can do, to change what you can change. I hope you can work on nine out of ten things you don’t like about yourself but if you can’t, it’s okay. The next point is for you!

Lord, give me asthma…

6. Unconditionally accept what you can’t change

This may be hard, but hard is not impossible.

He’s the God who chose us when we were nothing! 
His tender love for us continues on forever! 
Psalms 136:23 TPT

God chose and accepted you, He remembered you in your weakness. You can accept yourself too. Why sweat over what you can’t change? If you can’t change it, embrace it. Ask God for the strength to live with it. Thanking God in the midst of it will do a lot more good than complaining about it. If you can’t change your dentition like me, thank God that you have teeth!

You’re not as bad as you think… Ephesians 2:10 reveals that you are God’s masterpiece. You are a walking work of art. The Creator, God was satisfied with what He made, so He allowed you to be born that way!

It’s noteworthy to say that you teach others to accept you by accepting yourself. You’ve got to embrace the person you see in the mirror!

“Friendship with oneself is all important because without it, one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world”

Eleanor Roosevelt

You may want to start today. What steps will you take to work on what you can change? What will you embrace and appreciate God for?

Don’t forget to like this post, drop your comments and share, thank you.