The first inner barrier to self-acceptance is that sometimes, we are not yet the person we would like to be.
Consider any money, relationship or career problem you’re facing.
Is your attitude towards it one of acceptance or resistance?
You may be wondering, “What if I despise something about myself?
How can I accept it? And IF I accept it, am I stuck with my poverty, my upsetting boss, or my weight problem?
No.
I am not asking you to accept an unsatisfactory situation.
I am merely asking you tell the truth so you can start dealing with this reality.
The second inner barrier is that we’ve never been taught
HOW to accept ourselves.
HOW do we get there emotionally?
For this, we must harness our imagination.
Last day I said that when high achievers want to create hope, they use their IMAGINATION. Rather than focusing on current limitations or realities, they live out of their imagination long enough to dream.
The dream can be success and glory, but it can be inner peace too.
“I Accept Who I Am”
Despite being the most decorated woman in U.S. ski racing history, Lindsey Vonn struggled for years with debilitating depression.
“I couldn’t get out of bed anymore,’’ Vonn said about that time period in an interview with People magazine. “I felt hopeless, empty, like a zombie.”
How did Vonn heal her depression?
By accepting herself enough to ask for help.
“I just didn’t want to tell anybody,” says Vonn. “Because of my stubbornness or shame or not wanting to admitsomething was wrong, I didn’t do anything about it.”
Within a month of treatment (medical and therapeutic),
Vonn was a different person, excited to be part of life.
“All the parts of my life are finally in sync,” she told People.
“I accept who I am, and I’m moving forward.”
To accept herself, Vonn used her imagination.
She had to imagine being okay with who she really was,not her perfect public image.
In other words, she imagined herself free of shame.
Using your imagination this way is exciting because itcreates hope. We realize we don’t HAVE to be ashamed of our flaw.
And when the shame disappears, suddenly the flaw doesn’t seem that hard to fix. It’s a paradox, butself-acceptance always paves the way for change.
Living out of your imagination long enough to defeat fear is just one of the strategies we elaborate on in my upcoming new group coaching program that will teach you how to master fear to create a life of joy, fulfillment, andtrue greatness using the secrets of deep mental toughness.
It’s coming soon to your inbox.
Your friend,
Lisa B.