Ask yourself – how can you be truly happy if you don’t accept who you are? You might have an incredible life – great job, amazing friends, fabulous partner and engaging hobbies – but if you aren’t content with yourself then there will always be a small part of you preventing the journey to real, complete happiness. So, self-acceptance is crucial to living a wholly successful life. If you already accept and even love yourself then you’re on the fast track to fulfilment. For those that haven’t reached this point yet, there are a couple of things you should consider.

Humble Humanity

The number one thing to remember: we are all human. No human is alike, and no human is perfect. We all come with flaws and issues, we all have different mindsets and we all have a past. Each and every one of us is unique. There is no one else like you or I in the entire world. Comparing yourself to others or putting yourself on a pedestal does absolutely nothing for your self-esteem and self-worth. Once you realise that being human doesn’t mean fitting some idealised depiction of what ‘perfect’ is, your mind can find peacefulness. So what if you have bad traits? Everyone has a ‘bad’ trait, or a trait they aren’t too thrilled about. Instead of letting that get you down, focus on your wonderful traits – I bet there are many! And remember, anything you dislike about yourself you have the power to change. The first step? Change your mindset, and truly believe that you are capable of doing this.

Good Vibes Only

Without positivity, you’re going to struggle to find acceptance. Ever heard the saying “when you love someone, you love everything about them?” Well, this is how you need to think about yourself! You cannot truly accept yourself if you are only accepting the things that you like, or approve of. You need to accept your whole self – every little part of you that makes you into the unique person you are. Ask yourself what it is you cannot accept. Maybe it’s something to do with your appearance, or a bad habit you have. Maybe it’s a personality trait. Whatever it is, contemplate it, really consider every angle to it, then let it go. Just let go. Understand that it is part of your identity. Once you feel this acceptance – truly believe it – then you free your mind and soul, and release yourself to the possibility of complete happiness and fulfilment. Author and psychotherapist Amy Bloom was correct in saying: “you are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”