Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Self-Acceptance - Being Free to be Me

To find the good life you must become yourself. ~ Dr. Bill Jackson

We all want to be liked by others. We want to be accepted for who we are, and we want to feel free to be our genuine selves around them. But sometimes we feel pressured to live up to a certain image or expectation of what we think will please or impress others. So we try to become someone we are not. And we might even compromise our values and beliefs to receive the approval we seek.

Joann was a small town, country girl who dreamed about living in the big city. She got her chance when she was accepted to a well-known university. She wanted to make a positive impression and thought by changing her style she would fit in better. So, she bought a few expensive designer brand outfits even though she actually preferred wearing her comfortable, faded blue jeans and t-shirts. Eventually, she started feeling like a real phony. She didn’t like pretending to be someone she was not and she decided to just be herself. To her surprise she soon met some really nice friends who liked her style and personality, and truly liked her for who she was.

Not everyone will like us for who we are. And that’s okay. We don’t have to live our life to please people. We can be free to have our own opinions, interests, convictions, and style. And those who truly like us will respect our individuality and let us be ourselves. They will like and accept us for who we are.


Affirmations:

I do not have to pretend I am someone I am not in order to be happy with myself.

I will PRACTICE self-acceptance today…by being my genuine self, accepting who I am, and not trying to change for the acceptance from others.


Empowering Thoughts:

About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won’t like you at all. ~Rita Mae Brown

I am what I am, so take me as I am! ~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval. ~Mark Twain

All the discontented people I know are trying to be something they are not, to do something they cannot do. ~David Grayson

For real self esteem is not derived from the great things you've done, the things you won, the mark you've made, but an appreciation of yourself for what you are. ~Maxwell Max

It is necessary to the happiness of a man that he be mentally faithful to himself. ~ E. Cummings

Our entire life, with our fine moral code and our precious freedom, consists ultimately in accepting ourselves as we are. ~- Jean Anouilh

My definition of success is total self acceptance. We can obtain all of the material possessions we desire quite easily, however, attempting to change our deepest thoughts and learning to love ourselves is a monumental challenge. ~ Franki




Copyright © 2011 NewDayCounseling.org All Rights Reserved.


Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC is a licensed professional counselor, author, teacher, and musician. She specializes in helping people live their best life now, reach their full potential, overcome barriers, heal from their past, and develop a lifestyle of health, happiness, and love. Krystal is the cofounder of New Day Counseling, a family couples counseling and child adolescent counseling center, StopSuicideSong.com, and BeHappy4Life.com, an award-winning self-improvement and personal growth site where you can find hundreds of free resources, online workshops, video presentations, insights, and inspiration.

New Day Counseling is a family counseling center that provides professional counseling services for the entire family. We help parents, children, teens, families, individuals and couples. We offer couples therapy / marriage counseling, child therapy, adolescent counseling, anxiety counseling, depression counseling, divorce counseling, grief counseling, porn addiction counseling, substance abuse counseling. We also offer groups for anger counseling. Go to NewDayCounseling.org today for more information or call us at 248-649-8050. We are here to help, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Put an end to anger problems & regain control over your life today. Anger management classes help for personal, court, and business. For more info go to newdaycounseling.org or call 248-649-8050 to register today. * Anger management groups and/or individual anger counseling can be extremely supportive and helpful in equipping us with many tools for a better life.

Are you experiencing addiction or substance use that is impacting your daily life? You are not alone! There are many people struggling with substance abuse and addiction! There are also many people who recover and live a drug free lifestyle. Come join our 6 week substance abuse group to discover the pathway to freedom! One Day at A Time! For substance abuse group and/or individual substance abuse counseling, call or visit us today.


Love and Logic Parenting Classes help you with the most important job there is! You can learn practical tools & techniques for effective discipline, better communication, appropriate boundaries, healthy decision-making, & respectful adult-child relationships. Workshops are available at New Day Counseling in Troy. For more information or to register online go to: Love and Logic Parenting Class or call 248-649-8050.

Self-Esteem Group for Teen Girls (ages 13-17)
Teen girls learn to feel empowered, gain self-awareness, develop positive coping, and improve daily problem-solving skills. Through G.I.R.L.S. (Girls in Real Life Situations) counseling curriculum, group discussion, and fun activities, girls will learn more about themselves and be better equipped to handle Real Life Situations. Call 248-649-8050 today to register. For more information about this teen group, click here. We also provide individual teenage counseling.



<< Back to Words of Inspiration Home