Embracing Yourself

Embracing your life means being true to yourself, not living by someone else's rules or expectations. Living your best life can require you to choose your own authenticity over others' acceptance. Making peace with the one road we take in life makes all the difference.

It's a commitment to living our truth and honoring our unique individuality. It's about having the courage to be ourselves, fully and unapologetically, and in doing so, enriching our lives and the lives of those around us. The Importance of Authenticity.

Self-acceptance doesn't come naturally to all of us. If you've been exposed to messages that say you're unworthy or inferior, you might find it harder to accept every aspect of yourself. However, it's possible to nurture your self-acceptance and learn to meet yourself with compassion and care

Here are some reasons why self-acceptance can be so hard: You might feel frustrated about things you can't control. You might not know what or why you're feeling what you feel. You think that others are doing better than you.

Building self-acceptance involves embracing both your strengths and imperfections without self-criticism. Start by practicing self-love—acknowledge your positive qualities and celebrate your progress. Let go of the negative thoughts and judgments that prevent you from fully accepting yourself. Self-awareness is key.

Here are some strategies to help us embrace and love our “true” selves:

1.     Identify what you LIKE about YOURSELF. I know this is not something that many of us think about often, but it is important to do so.  We all have great characteristics such as being a good writer or a sense of humor.

2.    Identify what you LOVE about YOURSELF.  This is even harder to identify and accept than what we like about ourselves but trust me, it is possible.  When I say love, I mean what do you find about yourself that you greatly enjoy and appreciate about yourself.  Perhaps you love your caring nature, or your artistic flair.  You can read more about loving yourself in the Being Your Own Valentine Blog here.

3.    Identify where YOU want to be in YOUR life.  Do you want to be a parent?  Do you want a career?  Do you want to live abroad?  Bottom line, this is about what you want and need and not what others want from you or for you to do.  Think about what will make you feel happy and fulfilled in YOUR life.

4.    Just say no!  Yes, it sounds like the anti-drug commercials in the 1980’s but it is true.  It is ok to say no, and we should do so more often.  For example, you are asked to take on a new project at work.   If we say yes, we face resentments and frustrations of having to add more work to our overly full schedule.  To say no often leads to feelings of guilt.  Why do we feel guilty for saying no?  Good question and the answer is, there is no reason to feel guilty for saying no when that is what we want to say!  You can read more about this in the Self care blog.

5.     Stop comparing yourself to others!  Again, easier said than done!  We all have compared ourselves to others and have been groomed to do so in all areas of our lives….salary, education, relationship status, etc.  So instead of comparing ourselves with others, focus on our growth and positive changes that we have made within ourselves.

6.    Make good self-care activities a priority daily!  Practicing good self care is not something you do once a week or once a month as a reward for hard work.  Rather, it is a must to do daily, in fact, at all times.  Some examples include reading, meditation, pet therapy, and listening to to/playing music. 

7.    Don’t always be the one to compromise!   Compromising is great; but, is it truly compromise when you are the only one willing to compromise?  Speak your thoughts and feelings openly, honestly, and assertively.

8.    Believe in yourself!  Practice saying “yes I can and yes I will”.  Things may take time and there may be setbacks in your life but you can and will do it.  I love Dr. Seuss’s book “Oh, The Places You’ll Go”.   This is great to read and believe.

9.    Express your thoughts and feelings openly.  No need to filter your thoughts and feelings to protect others.  When we minimize our feelings and emotions, we continue to harm ourselves.  If someone is unable to or unwilling to hear and process your thoughts, feelings, and emotions, look for someone who can and will listen to you such as a trusted friend and/or therapist.

10. Accept and embrace imperfection.  No one is perfect and that is ok!  This allows us to grow and make positive changes.   For example, instead of viewing an error as a mistake, view it as a learning experience such as you put too much sugar in a cake and instead of “beating yourself up” about it, make a note in the recipe that next time use less sugar.  No harm done.  You can read more about perfectionism in the Perfectionism blog here.

How do you accept yourself?  What will you do to embrace yourself more?  We are here to help you!    The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer.