Self-Compassion Is the Same as Self-Acceptance

You need to accept who you are and be happy with that person. If you are constantly beating yourself up about trivial things, you will never accept yourself. While there are occasions where you need to be self-critical, most of the time you should focus on being happy.

There was a book written several years called, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. The idea behind the book is people are constantly confronted with minor items they have to deal with. If we let these small items get to us, how can we be prepared for the more important and bigger items?

One great way towards self-acceptance is to celebrate your strengths. Everyone has strengths. Perhaps you are good at diffusing tense situations. You are not fond of having to do this, but most people come to you because of your talent at it.

Sometimes, you also need to accept what you are not good at. Despite all your efforts, there are going to be situations or skills that you simply don’t grasp. It may be that your personality doesn’t allow you to be good at it. As an example, there are many people who are not good at negotiation. No matter how much they practice, they simply don’t have the disposition for it. That’s okay. If you need to participate in negotiations, find people who excel at that skill. The key is to recognize when you are not good at something. That isn’t always easy.

You should also accept that you are not perfect. None of us are. This is a big acceptance for many people. We hear the phrase, nobody’s perfect. But, people don’t readily accept it. This doesn’t mean you should be lazy and not try to accomplish things because you pass yourself off as not being perfect. People should always strive to do better. Just know that it will take time and always give it your best effort. No one can ask for more than that.

Acceptance does not mean settling. Don’t let others bully you into believing that you don’t have certain capabilities. You know what you are capable of, and you alone should make that determination. Sometimes, the fact that they don’t believe in you can be a strong force in making something work. You prove them wrong. However, don’t let them put you down to the point where you don’t even try. If you do, then they will win.