Self-Acceptance is Empowering

Why compare yourself with others? No one in the world can do a better job of being you than you. ~Unknown

Yesterday I spent a good portion of my day going through and reading all the Mamavation Sistahood posts for this week. As I was reading everyone's successes and perceived failures I started thinking about how I would have reacted 4 short months ago. I would have been thinking "oh why can't I stick with my diet the way ___ can?", or "why can't I have the willpower that ____ did?", or "why can't I stick with exercise the way that ____does?", or even "why can't I lose weight as fast as _____ is losing weight?" All of those questions that would end up making me feel like I was a failure. When the truth was I was doing the best I could with the tools and knowledge that I had at the time. The truth was that I was being the best me that I could be at that time.

It just breaks my heart thinking that one of you might be sitting at home today comparing yourself to someone else. I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with you. Even if you are overweight, like I am - that weight has served a purpose for you.  The food that you are eating is serving a purpose.  For the last 10 years food has helped me deal with feelings. It's hard feeling the feelings when you don't know how deal with all or those emotions or not knowing how to take care of your needs and food was my comfort - even if the comfort was only temporary, because the negative self-talk soon followed. But still I was doing the best I could to manage my life with the tools and knowledge that I had, and so are you!

How much time do we spend comparing ourselves to others? Measuring our successes, health, willpower, determination, wealth, or beauty? What good can that do? We have no idea the exact circumstances of anyone else’s life. We cannot understand their shoes - we have not walked in them. And at the end of the day, “No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.”

The problem with comparing ourselves to others and wanting approval from other people or comparing our successes and failures to others, is that you let others control how you feel in life. In order to be empowered we should only compare ourselves to ourselves. In doing this though it's important to be compassionate with ourselves too. Accepting ourselves as being good enough just the way we are. We should try to remember that everything that has happened in our life has brought us to where we are right this minute.

The world would certainly be boring if we were all clones of one another. Don't envy other’s successes or their efforts. Instead, cherish who you are and your unique offerings to our world. There is a beauty and uniqueness that only you can offer the world.

Today I hope that you can find some acceptance and love for yourself, because you are worth it!

☮peace.♥love.☺joy

(Photo Credit: rachelsmith on Flicker)