Do you love yourself? Do you value yourself? Do you accept yourself? Many people struggle with these concepts. People tend to be negative, critical, and judgmental of themselves.
I have written about Self-Love/Self-Acceptance in the past, but I always think this is a topic that should continuously be discussed, since many struggle with it. There are a couple of ways that can build your concept of self-love, self-worth, and self-acceptance.
Self love and acceptance comes from within. Seeking outside sources for approval can be detrimental to your well-being, and concept of self. It is always best to find validation within yourself. This is where the power lies. Now being praised, rewarded, and complimented is wonderful, but if you don’t appreciate yourself. They really don’t mean anything.
Learning to accept your flaws is important for a healthy self-concept. Perfection does not exist in this world, and it does not exist in humans. There are things you may not like about yourself. There are mistakes you will make. It is all a part of being human, and that is okay. Remind yourself that perfection is unattainable. This can help lessen the burden of self-hatred, and criticism.
Another important thing is to remember you may not be the best. You may not be the most beautiful, most skilled, most talented etc., but you do have you own beauty, talent, and skills that makes you unique, that makes you, you. It is about learning to appreciate your strengths, and putting focus on them. You may not be the best. You may not be perfect. But there are strengths that you can build on, and focus on. Appreciate your talents!
Remember, you can’t control outside sources, but you can control your thoughts about yourself. You can’t force others to accept, appreciate, and love you. How others feel, and think about you is out of your control. The one thing you can control is how you think of yourself. The best thing is to work on how you think, and feel about yourself.
There are a couple of concepts that can boost your self-worth/self-love/self-acceptance.
- Accepting you are not the best/make comparisons.
- Accepting your flaws.
- Focusing on strengths.
- Not seeking outside sources.
Psychology of Mindfulness 