Think back to your adolescence. Ouch, right?  How so many of us spent energy worrying about whether or not we were liked? Were the shoes we wearing going to be the 'right” kind?  Would we have a date for the prom?  Fretting all of our perceived  imperfections caused us stress and made our skin break out, which made us feel we’d never measure up.  All we wanted was to be accepted. To feel like we fit in, like we mattered, like we were were good enough.

Fast forward. We’ve grown up, but we are still at the mercy of those awful voices in our heads. They that reside within us even as we reach middle age and beyond.  Seriously? We're middle-aged and we are still judging and criticize ourselves. We don’t need anyone to do it for us because we learned a long time ago how to pick ourselves apart with eagle-eyed precision.  Maybe some things have changed; instead of worrying about a pimple, we fret over the lines around our eyes or our middles that jiggle. We still live in a world of self imposed judgment where we are never good enough.  

I say THAT’S ENOUGH!  

It’s time to wake up and embrace the face we have , and hug the curves that keep us warm.  It’s time to put away all the preconceived ideas that no longer support us. Wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up in the morning and truly love the person we see in the mirror, regardless of our clothing size, skin wrinkles, or fitness level?

I say let's channel this loving energy into creative actions that could improve our overall health and well being.  Let’s declare right now to learn and practice self-acceptance.  

Acceptance is an attitude. It implies willingness and an openness to see things as they truly are without judgment. Many people think acceptance means approval, but it doesn’t. Acceptance is simply paying attention to the way things are and taking appropriate action. And, it’s not about agreeing or disagreeing. Acceptance alleviates suffering. By far the greatest benefit of learning self-acceptance is that it alleviates unnecessary suffering. That isn’t to say you won’t feel any more pain, you will. The level of acceptance I am talking about is the calm in the center of chaos, that much-sought-after, often-illusive inner peace. Acceptance is a process. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Enjoy the exploration.

Acceptance exists at the core of your being. It is your default status, similar to our electronic devices asking us if we want to restore default settings from the manufacturer. Our manufacturer --Universe, Divine, God, Source -- installed acceptance in us. To restore to original levels we must first dismantle and unclutter our thoughts.  

To do this, you must first identify all the things you do not accept about yourself. Then, one by one, eliminate them by examining and questioning your beliefs around that issue. 

I encourage you to take a few moments to journal on the following thoughts.

    * Define yourself and your beliefs; what do you believe about yourself and the people in your world. What you believe is what you will receive.

    * Take a good hard look at your honesty level with yourself what story you are telling yourself.

    * Define your level of integrity.

    * Examine your judgments about yourself and others.

    * Examine guilt. What is it time to let go of?

    * Understand your motivations. What motivates you?

    * Express what you will and won’t accept in your life.