Self-Acceptance

Sometimes other people say things so well that it feels unfair to try to paraphrase it:

“The acceptance of oneself is the essence of the whole moral problem and the epitome of a whole outlook on life. That I feed the hungry, that I forgive an insult, that I love my enemy -- all these are undoubtedly great virtues.  But what if I should discover that the least among them all, the poorest of all the beggars, the most impudent of all the offenders, the very enemy himself -- that these are within me, and that I myself stand in need of the alms of my own kindness -- that I myself am the enemy who must be loved -- what then?”  - CG Jung

“If you try to avoid or remove the awkward quality, it will pursue you. The only effective way to still its unease is to transfigure it, to let it become something creative and positive that contributes to who you are.  Nietzche said that one of the best days in his life was the day when he rebaptized all his negative qualities as his best qualities. Rather than banishing what is at first glimpse unwelcome, you bring it home to unity with your life.  In a sense, you are called to be a loving parent to your delinquent qualities”.  - John O'Donohue

“Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries" - Theodore Roethke

While I don't think I can articulate this sentiment any more clearly than the above minds have done so, I will add this:  learning how to practice genuine self-acceptance is not for the faint of heart.  It is a grievous error to assume that this concept belongs to some kind of cute, cuddly, warm and fuzzy experience.  It's equally grievous to dismiss the notion of self-acceptance as a means for justifying passive denial of personal responsibility.  Instead, real self-acceptance requires an honest and ongoing encounter with our own sources of shame.  That is an extraordinarily brave quest!  Yet the potential reward for this kind of inner courage is something like Wholeness.  In fact, Carl Jung believed that our darkest inner landscapes often hold our greatest creative potentials.

So, onward brave friends!  I think we owe it to ourselves and to each other.