Radically Accepting YOUrself

MINDFULLY MENDING MARCH SUGGESTION: choose to radically accept who you are. 

I have been thinking lately about what it means to "be yourself". We tell that to children all the time. Don't follow the crowd, be who you are, you are special, you are unique, you are the only you there is. 

I watch my students try on different styles and different identities as they explore who they are. A slight change in hair style, experimenting with make-up, letting your pants ride slightly below the waist (not too far because inevitably I will say "gah! Pull up your pants!!!!"), new shoes, new interests. 

Then we grow up and we have discovered our identities and our styles and we are adults. 

Adults who know who we are. 

Seriously? I don't know who the hell I am half the time. Am I artist, partner, friend, writer, teacher, activist, shy, extrovert, mean, grumpy, rude, kind? I don't know. Gimme 5 minutes and I'll tell you who I am today. 

Okay it's not really like that for me. But I watch adults struggle with identity in exactly the same way as my 12 year olds. 

See? That goes back to my theory that we don't actually mature past 12!!!

There are people in this world who do accept that their identity and expression of identity and do not conform to current societal standards. We live in a country where "our strength is in our diversity" (I read that somewhere but don't know who to credit it to). And yet we judge the crap out of each other CONSTANTLY!!!! 

From women who wear to little to women who wear to much. From men who dress in socially understood women's clothes, to men who dress like they belong to a biker gang. From people whose gender is either trans or non-binary. Or people whose sexual identities don't fit the binary gay/straight. Tattoos, piercings, the clothes we choose, the places we go. These are all expressions of who we are. Then there is our physical appearance, our shape and our size that we really have little control of. AND ALL OF IT IS JUDGED! 

This leads us to self-judgement. 

Today, I encourage you to accept a part of yourself that either you judge or that is judged by others.

Or a part of you that you can't change about yourself.

I want you to take a moment today. As little as 30 seconds. And tell that part "I love and accept you as you are." Because as a 12 year old told me last week "I am the only me there is because it's in my DNA, my finger prints, even my face and hair. It's all me and no one else can have those things." 

Be kind,

To yourself too,

xo

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