Self-Acceptance
What does it mean to accept ourselves completely? Can we answer, “Yes,” to the question, “Do I fully accept and appreciate myself?” I think many if us would respond, “It depends.” Am I having a good hair day? Did I lose the 15 pesky, pandemic pounds I put on? Did I get the promotion at work or meet my monthly quotas? Is my bank account hefty, and my home the envy or all who walk through my door? If we can answer, “Yes,” to whatever the conditions are, that qualify us to offer self-acceptance to ourselves, we will feel proud and satisfied with who we are, at least according to how the world perceives us.
Yet, of all the things I just mentioned, will any of them matter at all when we are standing before the spiritual doorway that will journey us back home. When our time here is done, will we be concerned about any of the things that we often view as preconditions to our self-love and self-acceptance? I think most of us will agree that we will not be the least bit concerned. Why? The soul is what goes home, not the ego. The ego, that is only relevant during our existence here on the earth plane, is shed with the physical form. However, right now the ego is the part of us that fools us into thinking that our self-worth is determined by how we are judged by the standards of the material world.
How can we learn to enjoy a sense of self-acceptance no matter what is happening in the forefront of our lives or the bulges of our bellies? The answer is not easy, and yet it is. The answer is open awareness. The ego is not going away any time soon. It will be our constant, sometimes annoying companion, for the full duration of our time here. Trying to ignore it or even deny its existence will most likely end in a failed venture. Being open and aware of those moments when our ego tries to hijack our equanimity and toss us into the fires of our self-judgement, will prevent us from being victimized by its fear.
Like me, some of you may be thinking, “Easier said than done.” It is a constant struggle to stay grounded in the truth of who we truly are and not get lost in the illusion that we are our bodies or our bank accounts. Every time we fall headfirst into self-loathing and judgement of all our perceived flaws and faults, we completely lose sight of our inner beauty and divine love.
Yet, it is likely going to happen unless, of course, we have finally reached the full evolution of our soul. We will most likely continue to have moments where we compare ourselves to others and feel either arrogant and superior or remorseful and ashamed. We can never forget the fact that we are mortal humans with emotions and feelings that make our experience here bittersweet. We wanted this experience with all its ups and downs, joys and sorrows, victories, and defeats. Simply being aware of when we have relinquished our soul-mindedness and handed the wheel of our vessel over to our ego, is the only way to self-correct and take back control of our thoughts, perceptions, and intentions.
I believe that we made some critical decisions when we decided to embark on this journey to the earth plane once again. We each have a certain life purpose that is crucial to the evolution and growth of our souls, and the united soul of “The One.”. The body we chose along with its strengths and weaknesses was determined to be perfect to accomplish our goals. By this world’s standards, we may appear beautiful or ugly, fit, or frail. If we listen to the distorted mind of the collective consciousness, we will fail to see that all that we are, and each circumstance we face are all part of a bigger picture designed to help us achieve our spiritual objectives.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, along with the fruitful experience of living a physical life, we also experience a sort of spiritual amnesia that is a consequence of existing in the density and obscurity of the earth plane. We are unable to remember many of the reasons why we came here and that can keep us confused and frustrated. That is why it is vital to understand that we are not alone. We are all in this together. When we seek the answers to life’s questions and the meaning of our lives here, we will find them. We have our team of light on the other side that is always reaching out to us and trying to connect with and guide us. They can help us remember our divine nature and light the path forward for us. They can also lead us to the people here on earth that we have soul contracts with. These are people who have agreed to show up in our lives to assist us in our awakening.
So, when we have those moments when we wish we were anyone other than who we are, we can simply hit the pause button. Pull back our energy from wherever we are mindlessly focusing it and return home to ourselves. We can slip back into our inner sanctuary and breathe in the love of our creator and of all other beings who are sending out their love to us. Accepting that love and believing we are worthy of it, will help us offer our own love and acceptance to ourselves as well. During our vulnerable moments, if we speak to ourselves with kindness, forgiveness, and compassion, we may find tears of surrender and joy seeping from our grateful eyes. We may feel less contracted and more open. In those moments of ascension and transcendence, we can rise above the weariness of competition and judgement that is so copious in this world. We may unexpectedly and excitedly feel the flutter of our spiritual wings as they push through our limitations and emerge from our humanity. Like a caterpillar that transforms into a magnificent butterfly, we can also spread our wings and fly free. Our self-love and self-acceptance will be the wind beneath our wings that will guide us through our earthly lives, help us to grow from all our thrills, trials, and tribulations, and ultimately lead us gently back to our heavenly home.
Let us affirm with certainty, “I love and accept myself fully and completely. I am a perfect configuration of energy, and the world needs me just as I am, and so it is.”