How to Accept Yourselfcontinued from Accepting Yourself Learning how to accept yourself is a process. Some parts of the process are simple and can happen with amazing speed. Other aspects may take longer or can be more difficult to root out. Cultivate AwarenessJust like other forms of negative thinking, you probably have your favorite put down phrases and patterns. An important step in learning how to accept yourself is to become aware of your road blocks to accepting yourself.Listen to what you say to yourself and how you say it. What comments do you make about yourself to others? Can you graciously accept a compliment? Observe how you look at yourself in the mirror. What does your body language say? Note what positive and negative comments come to mind about how you look. Can you look in the mirror and say, "I love you."? What do you believe about your ability to heal and/or achieve your goals? Do you believe you are important, good enough and worth it just the way you are? In addition to noticing how you think and talk about yourself, notice what you say and think about others. This is often an excellent way to become aware of the less obvious parts of yourself that you don't like or acknowledge. Make Peace With YourselfThis may sound counter-intuitive, but the starting place for healing is to be at peace. For many of us, a big part of that is learning to love and accept ourselves, just the way we are. If you find yourself waging war on yourself because you have made mistakes, or don't like something about your body or personality, stop. This accomplishes nothing except wasting your precious energy and keeping you stuck and unhappy. 
Instead, approach your healing and 'self-improvement' from a place of self-love and value. Shift your mindset from wanting to fix yourself to one of enhancing yourself because you are worth it. What if you really don't like something about yourself? That's okay. Learning how to accept yourself is not about settling for what is not in your best interest. Nor does it mean liking everything about yourself. It is about loving and valuing yourself despite your imperfections. As the saying goes, "It is what it is." All of you, every part, needs and deserves love. Does it really matter if you have a a little cellulite or a few wrinkles? Is that really cause for self-loathing and waging war on yourself? And what if you 'made a mess of things'? Will battering yourself more help? Will suffering more make it right? Instead, send love from your heart to all parts of yourself - mind, body and spirit. Bathe yourself in the energy and light of love. Let yourself be at peace. Before going for change, choose to love what you dislike first. Then if change is in your best interest, and it's possible, go for it. Making changes in yourself and your life from a place of love and self acceptance is empowering and healing. So is deciding to live in harmony with your limitations, flaws and 'less than perfect' attributes when that is in your best interest. Stop the CriticismAn important part of learning how to accept yourself is listening to your inner talk as well as what you say to others.Make a commitment here and now to stop criticizing.. Accept that you are in charge of your thoughts and your words. You can make them work for you or against you. This step takes a lot of awareness and effort, especially if you've been very negative or critical. It's worth it. Stop the criticism mid-stream if you have to. And watch out for the put downs and limiting thoughts that appear helpful or protective. Be patient and forgiving of yourself. But be persistent. It gets easier as you practice. You can step this process up by adding gratitude. When I catch myself commenting negatively about some part of myself, I stop and make a point of expressing gratitude for and to that part of my body or personality. So when unhappily looking at the cellulite on my thighs I catch myself. Then I thank them for how wonderfully they serve me and how much I appreciate the work they do. After all, it's not their fault they have extra weight. This practice changes my feelings from disgust to love. It also motivates me to take better care of myself. The goal of course is to avoid the criticism all together, but shifting your thoughts in this way is quite effective. Use Tools to Help YouWe are lucky to live in a time when topics like how to accept yourself are important.Holistic energy healers have developed a variety of techniques that facilitate accepting yourself and others. Although results vary, they are often quite effective. Do sample them in the members area and via the following links. To name just a few helpful tools there's Z Point, Neuro Linguistic Programming, the Work of Byron Katie, and the Emotional Freedom Technique. Using one or more of these tools can quickly increase your awareness and shift your perspectives. They help you reduce or eliminate the negative thoughts and beliefs that interfere with your self acceptance on all levels.
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Members:Check out the Meridian Tapping and Energy Flow Techniques resources in the Members Area. They are designed to help shift negative and stressful thoughts and feelings to more positive states.
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