A reporter interviewed a 104-year-old man.
"And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?" the reporter asked.
"No peer pressure," he replied.
Self acceptance is something we struggle with too much of our lives, and I am speaking as a senior. So what advice can we offer our children and grandchildren about accepting this package of human strengths and weaknesses?
I'm reminded of the joke about the consultant who looks at something that's working well and says, "Hmm, I wonder if this will work in theory?" I hope we all have the self assurance to appreciate this last remark.
Recently I was struck by a CBC interview with Twiggy; yes, that Twiggy; who talked about the song "Seventeen" which she popularized during the 1970's. One line she used to describe teen angst said: "We all look in the mirror and wish we were someone else".
I wondered at what age that feeling stops? At what age do we stop worrying about the size of our nose, ears, chin? When do we recognize the beauty of the package God put together with its absolute uniqueness, harmony and beauty? Yes, that's what I said! "God don't make junk".
"Seventeen" goes on to ponder themes reflecting our insecurities and deficiencies:
That love was meant for beauty queens
And those of us with ravaged faces
Desperately remained at home
when dreams were all they gave for free
to ugly duckling girls like me...
To those of us who knew the pain
Of valentines that never came
And those whose names were never called
When choosing sides for basketball
As I reflected on these themes I realized that as our relationship with God improves, so does our self image and sense of worth. In fact the peer group becomes less significant when this happens.
Self-acceptance is essential to success. Persons who scored high in an on-line - Robert Holden's Self-Acceptance Scale - test were described as follows:
Self-acceptance is the deep realization that "You are what you seek." You understand that happiness is a fragrance of your soul, love is your spiritual DNA and that peace in the world begins with peace in you.
Self-acceptance also enables you to give yourself fully and freely to the world because you are not looking for approval, you are not afraid of rejection and you are simply interested in living an authentic life. Self-acceptance is an endless journey of self-discovery. Keep saying yes to who you really are, and you will live your best life.
I will conclude with an Oprahtic thought (yes, from Oprah's web site): Self-acceptance feels so good that you should try it at least once in your life! At the deepest level, self-acceptance is the awareness that you are what you seek. The love you hope to find in the world is what you are made of, and the happiness you are searching for is your true nature. Today, be willing to accept the idea that love is here because you are here, and happiness is here because you are here, and hope is here because you are here. Affirm to yourself, "I am what I seek".
