Do you accept who you are?

One of the best things we can do for ourselves is accept who we are.  I was just reading a post on another blog about  whether we really need validation from others or not.  You know, so many of us are afraid to show our true selves to the world for fear of rejection.  I guess I am a fine one to talk, given I won't come out of the broom closet with my family and local friends.
That said, I accept myself  - cowardice and all  - for what and who I am.  If I was asked by family or the local friends about being a witch then I would certainly not deny it, I just don't feel that comfortable broadcasting it to all and sundry.

Within the craft you pretty much have to accept not only yourself, warts and all (no pun intended!), but also your actions.  This kind of thing can leave a person feeling pretty uncomfortable, especially if you don't like introspection.  I have to admit, navel-gazing can feel very self-obsessed when you first begin.  But like all things in the craft, and life, the more you do it the better you get.

Sometimes we go through challenges again and again, we just don't seem to be able to break out of some cycles.  This is where a time of self reflection can really come in handy, and we should never feel guilty for looking within to solve problems.

I think there are times when we have to finally stop judging ourselves - and others too - and just get on down and look within.  Once the initial uncomfortable feelings have subsided we soon realise that what we are pretty critical of ourselves and we should work on our feelings of self hatred.  Let's face it, we all have something we hate about ourselves, no matter how small.

Accepting who we are is a vital lesson within the craft.  It helps us too come to terms with our own failings and give ourselves a break.  We learn to move on from negative situations and people and this helps us to become more forgiving of ourselves.
When you can accept yourself you become happier with who you are.  You act in the best way for yourself and those around you.  You are less prone to damaging actions and accept responsibility for what you do and say.

Acceptance is a key word in the craft.