I’m so fat. I’m not very pretty. She has it all together–why can’t I be more like her? It is easy to plunge into self-pity and self-loathing. We look at others and, for some reason, we see perfection. We see beauty. And when we do not see perfection, that is okay. We accept them for who they are. Why then do we struggle to do the same for ourselves? Today I want to discuss how you can accept yourself by leading your life with mindful purpose.
Meditation
First, take the time to meditate. April May, from the blog called The Bliss Fix, shares her meditation mantra when negativity gets her down: “I am at peace with who I am.” You might take a moment to breathe deeply, in and out. Once you have found your breath, you can bring your attention to that mantra and reflect on your thoughts and feelings of the moment without embracing them, almost as if you were observing them from afar.
Then comes the difficult part: letting go of judging yourself. You can admit your weaknesses and shortcomings and accept them as part of you.
“I am always late to my meetings, but that’s okay. I am at peace with who I am.”
“My weight is on the heavier side of the spectrum, but that’s fine. I am at peace with who I am.”
You might let that acceptance fill you.
Living in Mindful Meditation
This is not a one-time practice, or even a once-a-day one. As you embrace this mantra, “I am at peace with who I am,” try living it. When an insecurity shows up, you can meet it with kindness instead of letting it beat you down and hiding your head in shame. It is part of who you are now, at this very moment, and that is okay.
As you come to accept yourself, it may become easier to turn the weaknesses you have accepted into strengths. Acceptance does not mean that they are excused, only that you no longer have to beat yourself up over them. Instead of putting all of your energy into these negative thoughts, you can offer yourself love and acceptance. Is it easier to change when someone criticizes your every attempt and puts you down, or when someone lovingly encourages you and accepts you every time you fail?
You can stop beating yourself up over your weaknesses. Lead your life with mindful purpose by accepting yourself for who you are now, not who you want to be. That change may still come, but for now, take the time to be kind to yourself and notice what shifts. Contact us for more ideas on living every day with mindful purpose.
