Acceptance

Acceptance - isn't that what we are all really looking for?  A place where we can be our genuine selves and feel safe and loved?  Why does it seem that this is so hard to find?   Why do we so often feel like we need to wear masks and hide our real selves?  Are we all that horrible?  Or is it because we have been hurt?  We have chosen poorly when revealing our true selves?  Why do we feel like we want to hurt others?  Are we being protective about ourselves and think if we hurt them first then they can't hurt us?

One thing I have learned through all of this stuff in my life is that hiding who I am, wearing a mask, is probably the most hurtful thing I can do.  It means that I am denying myself the right to be me and everyone has that right.  Subconsciously I take that denial and internalize it and it plays havoc with my self-esteem.  By hiding I am effectively telling myself that who I am is not good enough and I need to be someone else.

Acceptance, for me, starts with me.  By accepting myself as I am, I can choose more wisely when to let people in and when not to.  I am more likely to find friends and people in my life that build me up, rather than tear me down.  I can choose my life, my friends, the situations I put myself in better because I know myself better and I accept that I am me.  By stopping trying to twist around like a pretzel to make other people happy, I will be better able to make me happy, and in the end that can only lead to self-acceptance and acceptance by others.