by Richard Lassiter

ACCEPTANCE:
The ability to accept yourself as an individual, to accept other people as they are and to comfortably receive things, thoughts and feelings from others. It is the ability to see yourself and accept yourself as an essential part of the environment.
(From the Percentage of Balance in the Glandular System Profile)

I’m sure you know how important it is to love and accept yourself. So why is it that so many of us find it hard to accept ourselves just as we are? We tend to criticize and judge ourselves and in turn judge others. If you find it hard to love yourself, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. It is a very common part of the human experience. The people who raised you probably didn’t accept themselves 100% and so this tendency was passed on to you. The good news is you can change this. It just takes a little practice and patience with yourself.

When I accept myself as I am, I find a natural byproduct of doing so is accepting others’ spiritual right to be themselves. It is the “likes and dislikes” of my early training that trigger judgment and rejection. Just a tiny thought or questioning something and, if I am not alert, my self-acceptance plummets into something that really doesn’t feel very good at all. Through my life, I became comfortable with the uncomfortable.

I observe my little son (and very old soul) Liam closely. He accepts everything with a smile and love. He has not yet learned to judge himself or his actions. He shows me how free a soul is without the burden of limited self-acceptance. He inspires me to dig deeper within myself to recapture my child-like part.

I don’t know about you, but for me, some days it is easier than others. If I am physically tired or not following through with my goals, I find I am more susceptible to my not-so-good habits … it takes more effort to stay open and One with All. One of the spiritual ethics I was taught was to stay, “Cool, calm and collected.” That is easier to do when I am rested and directed. So there is a solution. Get enough sleep and keep my day organized with things I want to accomplish for myself.

Respecting myself is accepting that I am THE ESSENTIAL part of my total environment. When I can trust myself to do what I know I need to do for myself, I am calm, cool and collected. I don’t waste time looking over my shoulder to see whether or not I am respecting myself. When I am respecting myself, I feel lighter and happier inside and out. I can easily remain detached as I move through the world around me. My detachment enables me to live and let live because I take nothing personally. I just watch the show and go about minding my business.

It’s all about how free I really want to be. Am I free when I open myself to outside influences? Am I free when I permit stressful thoughts to enter my state of consciousness? Or am I a usable instrument for confused souls who get energy from stress? Freedom is a big part of my spiritual thrust. My life is all about freedom: Freedom in doing my spiritual work and learning and growing through action.

I used to use my desire for freedom against myself. I would plan my day then, just to show the universe how free I am, not do what I organized myself to do. How dumb is that? Freedom is not having to prove to myself (or anyone) that I am free. Freedom is earned by doing what I need to do.

Freedom to me has taken on a new perspective. If I want the freedom to spend 14 days in Puerto Rico, I need to do what is necessary to make that happen. The Universe owes me nothing. I create my freedom through well-planned action. The real question is, am I willing to earn my freedom from self-limiting habits? Not only am I willing, I have given my Angels full permission to back me to fully live my thrust.

Self-acceptance creates freedom. When my self-acceptance is strong, I am relaxed, calm and minding my own business. I am doing my 50% to open myself to ideas and inspirations from my Guidance as to how I can accomplish my goals. I am living life the easy way, not the hard way. My ship is moving smoothly toward my goals. As long as it is moving forward, I am learning and growing and enjoying my opportunity here on earth.

What can you do to accept yourself more? Do you need a little more organization and planning to your day? Do you need to learn to follow through? Evaluate the changes you need to make in your life so that you can be proud of your own accomplishments. You’ll experience more joy and freedom every day.