5 Ways Self-Acceptance Improves Your Love Life

Self-Acceptance is being content with yourself, as you are, which can lead to more happiness and fulfillment in life. 

When you accept yourself, you're announcing to the world, "I approve me!" without saying a word. 

It's not about arrogance or being puffed up (Romans 12:3).

It's about giving yourself a nod, even if no one else does because at a minimum you know, which is really a maximum, that God approves you. It's also about giving yourself the okay, in spite of your shortcomings.

Now, the opposite of self-acceptance would be disapproving of yourself: to disapprove is to withhold approval from yourself. Another way put, it's like being at opposition with oneself.

Picture you, fighting yourself.

Can you picture you bruising you externally and internally? Constantly being over critical of who you are and who you are not. How about always having negative commentary about the size of your butt, boobs, and natural figure? What about being at odds with your hair texture or skin tone?

You can't argue this fact down: when you don't accept you, you fight against you. You place a bet against you before anyone else has a chance to. This article from Psychology Today breaks down why some people are quick to beat themselves up.

On the contrary, when you accept you, you bet on you, and you bet on the God in you, which generates behaviors [decisions] that align with how you feel about you. 

A woman who accepts herself is more likely to do things like smile at strangers, offer her intelligence to the world, and accentuate her God-given features, and she's less likely to tear others down because she knows how it feels to be torn.

Self-acceptance is all about welcoming yourself to be who you are, and freeing others up to be themselves as well. As you courageously accept you, you free yourself to show up fully, in life and love, which can lead to more happiness and personal fulfillment.

We are constantly invited to be who we are.   ~ Henry David Thoreau

Can you think of an instance when you were being invited to be who you are? Did you move towards the invitation or shy away from it?

Whether you've been taking steps toward greater self-awareness or you're right now being challenged to accept the invitation, this blog post is meant to serve as a reminder of why self-acceptance is important for you, and your love life.

Here are 5 Ways Self-Acceptance Improves Your Love Life:

1. You stop fighting against you and begin to fight for you. Self-advocacy is important, attractive quality. Life can be hard enough, when you advocate for you, it shows others that you have the capacity to advocate for them too, and everyone needs a cheerleader when times are good and tough.
2. You're not so quick to internalize the critique or criticism of others, instead you put the opinions of others in proper perspective. When you don't personalize everything, it makes it easier for you to relate to others, including the opposite sex. 
3. You're more focused on who God says you are, and exploring all of your value and assets. Therefore, you're less inclined to look for another to complete you. God is already doing that work. 
4. You're not so hard on yourself, and therefore you're not so hard on others. Doing the work to accept yourself as you are, can be messy. However, as you become more aware of your flaws, you're more inclined to lighten up on the flaws of others.  
5. You free others to love you, as you are. You no longer feel the need to force others to accept you, friend you, date you or marry you because you accept you, and you want those in your life who love and accept you too. 

Did anything stand out to you about self-acceptance? Where are you in the process of accepting yourself, as you are? Comment below, we'd love to hear from you. 

Much Love, 

Tiffany Wilson, M.Div aka @tiffytalks

P.S. Are you hard on yourself? Do you feel like you should be more or do more? February 7 - April 11, @ 6:45-8pm, {FAVRD} the virtual Bible study community will be studying one of the busiest women in the Bible, the Proverbs 31 woman.

If you're looking for a godly way to view your life and productivity, I invite you to join us. Click here to RSVP for {FAVRD}.

[Published via Original Website July 24, 2016. Edited, February 3, 2019]