Self-Acceptance as a Portal to Change
"Weaving a new future will be done from within, from your inner desires, inner truth and knowing."
~Lena Stevens
We have made it to the final month of this chaotic and wacky year! The exhaustion of this years unfolding has certainly set in. The juggle has been real and the constant pivots have pushed us to the edges of our capacity to meet life.
It is time to dig deep. A time to honor exactly where we are as individuals on this wild collective ride of unknown and also, I feel, the time to do whatever we possibly can to stay upright in our own truth and in who we are.
We are, without a doubt, all being propelled into the most massive change and transformative process of our lifetimes. With the varying energies and experiences of each day and moment, we are being provided with the platform for choice and the opportunity to create some potent and lasting changes in our state of being.
What I know for certain is that self-acceptance is at the forefront of any change process.
I would go even further to say acceptance of our lives on the whole is crucial in order to take the next steps towards creating the changes that we want (and need!) to. When we are in the space of acceptance then we can pivot towards change. Then we can create the level of transformation in ourselves and our lives that we are desiring.
It is certainly not that simple, of course, and requires a level of surrender to the present moment repeatedly and diligence in our practices.
It is very much about looking at ourselves in the mirror, both literally and figuratively, with an open heart and unwavering compassion.
To approach ourselves with a sense of softness and making it our daily, moment-by-moment practice to pour on the love and kindness especially in those dark and dingy crevices where the cobwebs are growing.
I do not say any of this lightly as my adult life has certainly not been a cakewalk, yet, what I continuously come back to over and over again is that inner knowing that the only way to create any changes is to accept who I am in the moment and to accept things exactly the way they are right now.
Today. At this juncture in time.
Most, if not all of us, are habituated to be conditional in our acceptance of who we are and our lives. We are not modeled to love and accept ourselves unabashedly no matter what we look like, feel like, dress like, sound like, own, do for a living, our relationship status, etc etc….our humanness on the whole.
I believe that we are all being given that opportunity right nowto tap into that well of unconditional acceptance of ourselves and of the heart-wrenching unfolding around us. We continue to be stripped bare of so many of our creature comforts and, in midst of this, we can also recognize that we have the choice to turn towards ourselves in every moment.
That does not mean that we feel fabulous every day or like what is unfolding around us and, perhaps, in our own personal realities.
Acceptance of ourselves, who we are, and our lives, means that we learn to ride the waves with grace.
It means that we do the work that we need to to remain present and awake.
It means that we honor when we are feeling pissed off and we move the energy in the way that is healthy.
It means that when we are feeling sad and discouraged about this crazy pandemic and all of its counterparts that we tend to ourselves with gentleness, kindness, and care.
I believe so strongly in this path of self-acceptance having been a recovered addict for over 2 decades. I understand first-hand what it means to be conditional in the acceptance of oneself.
That restless and unfulfilling feeling of never being able to reside and rest into a state of ground…in acceptance… in love…with who we are just because we are alive. That incessant search for the next thing, item, person, substance, project, food….as that being the guiding force towards our path of acceptance.
As we all know, and are being reminded of during these times, this is not sustainable. Authentic acceptance of who we are and our lives in the current moment is the real deal. It is a spiritual dive into the truth and, I can attest, ends with the purest form of love and care for oneself. It is worth the work.
I feel as though this time has really given us the fortuity to slow down (or at least shift gears and move at a different pace) and assess what it is we want to be doing, how we want to be showing up, what that looks like, what that feels like, what systems need revamping, and what systems are staying.
It is a great opportunity to notice if there is a gap between where you are right now and where you want to be.
So, we are coming to a close of this unprecedented year and I invite you to use this time to really feel into what it is that you want to be creating. What touchstones do you need on the whole to feel supported? Do you need support in the realm of your home? Your body? Your business? Your nutrition? Or overall well-being so as to begin this new year intact and connected to the truth of who you are?
I have joined forces with 4 other amazing coaches in creating The Grow Circles Program. These circles encapsulate all of the above areas and are powerful ways of creating the change that you are desiring in this new year ahead. Details are below.
I also recorded my final podcast of 2020 (which happens to be my 20th episode!) and talk about the crucial role of a consistent meditation practice in staying steady and awake during challenging times (and share a snippet of how meditation greatly served me in midst of my own near-death encounter!).
Stay connected.
We are all in this together.