Self acceptance. Run this concept over in your mind.
Do you have a grasp on it?
Now try to truly understand what this means.
Do you feel it inside of you? That wave of acceptance. Can you look down at yourself and feel self-love branching out from within you?
For the majority of my life, I have thought of self-love as a thing that can exist, but not something I ever viewed as important enough to me. It wasn't until halfway through my freshman year of college that I realized how vital it really is. The demons of depression had entered my mind. I became unable to leave my dorm room, let alone my bed, because of the anxiety that took over me. I have always been a perfectionist, and if I felt the least bit unprepared for an exam, I would be unable to bring myself to go at all. When the fear of failure came over me, the depression set in deep, and I began to hate myself. With the absence of self-love, and the crippling abilities of depression and anxiety, I was at a loss for what to do next.
However, I knew I had to get out of that mindset; I knew I needed to find a way to heal. After an 18-hour car ride home, and months of therapy and counseling and soul-searching, I was finally able to feel those branches of self-acceptance growing inside of me. Now, not everyone's journey to self-love is the same and it certainly does not have to be as gruesome and painful as mine. This journey can start right now, as you are sitting in bed or at the kitchen table. Maybe you are realizing that you pick yourself apart too much; you try to be the perfect friend, the happiest daughter, or the most talented son all of the time. This realization can open up your mind into the idea of accepting yourself for who you are. It is OK to make mistakes, it is OK if it took you longer than everyone else, and it is OK to not be perfect. In a society that constantly frames perfection and posts it all over the Internet for us to see, it becomes incredibly difficult to believe these things. Know that you are enough, just as you are, and accept the things you cannot change. The process of self-discovery is a challenge, but it is one that is extremely important to accept.
I am not perfect, far from it, and I now have battle scars from the war I had with myself, making me even more imperfect. But this body I live in carries me from my lovely bed to the gym and yoga, where I feel most like myself. These arms allow me to hold my 1-year-old nephew and hug my mum because I have put her through so much. I am nowhere near perfect, but you know what? I love my imperfection. My beat-up body, sprinkled with scars, tells the journey of my life up until this moment. It tells of the difficult times I have endured, and of the beautiful memories long past. Finding a mindset of peace with yourself is essential to health, success, and vitality. Of course I experience instances of insecurity and frustration, but "my life is vital, even on the days when I am sad." - Andrew Solomon
Open yourself up to self-acceptance. Grow a tree within you filled with memories, maybe some hardships, and plenty of healthy relationships. Do not let the negative or difficult aspects of life break down your self-love. Water it, and watch yourself bloom.
