The Core Lessons of Self: Self-Acceptance
The Core Lessons of Self are a collection of lifelong processes that focus on positively raising the inner beliefs and feelings we hold about ourselves, so that we can create a life that we love.
Each of the Core Lessons of Self is connected with a specific facet within our Jewel of Life system. In this post we’ll be exploring the lesson of self-acceptance and its importance in the facet of Spirit & Soul.
What is self-acceptance?
Self-acceptance is the practice of being able to fully accept ourselves (perceived) flaws and all. I say perceived because very often what we believe to be a weakness is based on our perspective. Don’t get me wrong, we all have things we could improve on but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are innately wrong.
It’s important to note that self-acceptance is not just about accepting our more negative traits, it’s also about accepting our positive ones too. We live in a world where we are often told to downplay our gifts and talents and so we can find it hard to accept that we have them, which can in turn stop us fulfilling our true potential.
Practicing self acceptance doesn’t mean that we can’t or won’t change. It means that we accept who we are and where we are at in the present moment.
Why do we need to practice self-acceptance?
The only way to be truly happy and fulfilled is to honour our true selves. However, many of us live in a way that is not authentic to us, causing a deep sense of dissatisfaction and disconnection.
So often, we try to fit in with how society or the people around us tell us to be, because we fear judgment or ridicule. However, we just end up living out of alignment with who we truly are and what really we need. We are all completely unique and it is important that we honour and respect this.
When we feel we can’t live up to someone else’s hype or standards we can tend to judge ourselves too harshly. Instead of accepting that we are trying, learning, growing and human.
When we accept ourselves, we live in a way that is authentic to us. We stop trying to reach unrealistic expectations from others and ourselves and instead start striving for a sense of inner peace and a deeper connection to who we are.
By accepting ourselves, we get to celebrate our uniqueness and recognise that the things that make us different are often the gifts we get to share with the world. We acknowledge that we won’t always get it right and we know that is ok. We understand that life is a never ending journey of self-discovery and growth.
How does self-acceptance relate to the facet of Spirit & Soul?
The facet of Spirit & Soul is all about our identity and what makes us who we are. It includes our needs, desires, beliefs, values and all the things that make us unique. The relationship we have with ourselves is the most important one and when we cultivate one that is loving and accepting, everything else becomes a lot easier.
Self-acceptance is the core lesson in the facet of Spirit & Soul because when we are able to learn to accept ourselves fully, we learn to honour and connect with our truest most authentic self.
Homework for the lesson of self-acceptance:
Below are some questions to help you delve deeper into the lesson of self-acceptance so that you can enhance your relationship with self and create more balance and bliss…
Question 1: What does self-acceptance mean to you?
Question 2: Where in your life do you practice self-acceptance?
Question 3: Where in your life do you think you are not very self-accepting and why?
Question 4: What do you need to let go of in order to be more self-accepting?
Question 5: What can you start to implement to enhance your self-acceptance journey?
Question 6: What challenges do you think you may face in your journey of self-acceptance and how will you overcome them?