We all have faults whether we’d like to admit it or not. Not being perfect and accepting ourselves for who we are – flaws and all – isn’t easy, but we all need to work on them in order to find more happiness from life.
It also helps to know that no one is perfect – no matter what you see on social media or what they portray publicly.
Here are some things you can do to help accept yourself and embrace your weaknesses.
- Accept your imperfections. Remind yourself that expecting perfection from yourself or anyone else is unrealistic and unfair.
- Improve the things you can improve. I am often too direct and say what’s on my mind. Sometimes I speak before I think too. These are things on which I’m working. Remember that you are a work in progress and acknowledging that you have growth areas is a big step in the right direction.
- Be aware of your inner critic. Always remember that your critical inner voice is not a reflection of reality but rather of your own insecurities and anxiety.
- Forgive yourself. Being stuck on past regrets can prevent you from accepting yourself. Accept that you can’t change the past and what’s happened but you can forgive yourself so you can move on and do better next time.
- Get out of your own way. Just stop self-sabotaging yourself, period. We all do this and it’s counterproductive to helping us get to where we want to be.
- Treat yourself as you would treat your own best friend. Be kind to yourself when you make mistakes. Tell yourself that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.
- Let go of the past so it doesn’t ruin your future. I’ve been hurt a lot in my past by friends who turned out to be anything but and significant others who turned out to be pretty insignificant. It’s taken me a long time to trust anyone again. I work very hard to not let what has happened to me with other people interfere in my current and future relationships. Everyone deserves a clean slate and you can’t let your past interfere with your future. Learn from every experience, good and bad, and let those experiences help you make better decisions for the people you allow in your life going forward.
- Create a support system. It’s hard to accept yourself or be yourself if the people around you aren’t your staunch advocates and cheerleaders. Keep your circle small and surround yourself with people who truly believe in and support you.