Acceptance of ourselves gives us room to move. Until we accept ourselves, we’re like prisoners of our own expectations and defenses.

I remember the days when I thought there was some version of myself that I should become. I had conjured up this notion of what I needed to be in order to be accepted by others, and that very notion is what kept me from accepting myself.

Once I realized that those ideas were based on imaginary nonsense—and that I was okay enough—I was able to move forward with more balance and certainty, changing some of things that I wasn’t so crazy about and holding on to those that made me proud.

I think that’s when life started to get a bit easier.