Page 244 - The Truth Landscape Format 2020 with next section introductions-compressed

“When you begin to accept yourself the way you are right now, you begin a new life with new possibilities that did not exist before because you were so caught
up in the struggle against reality that that was all you could do.”

So if it doesn’t work, why do we keep doing it? Because we hope it will work. And if you don’t know any other way to change, what options do you have?
We’ve been conditioned to believe that in order to change, we need to first feel bad about it. That if we’re accepting and loving of that particular quality, that
we won’t do anything to change the situation, which is not true! You don’t have to be unhappy with yourself to know and actively change those things you’d
like to change about yourself. Acceptance is actually the very first step in the process of change.

Think of acceptance of yourself like being okay with where you live now. You may want a bigger house one day. You may dream about that new home. But
there ARE advantages to living in a smaller home if you only took the time to think about it. It is possible to be happy with the home you're in now, while still
dreaming and working to make your new home a reality.

The acceptance process

Acceptance exists at the core of your being. It is your default status. In order to reach this base level of acceptance, you need only remove the items laying on
top. To do this, you must first identify all the things you do not accept about yourself. Then, one by one, eliminate them by examining and questioning
your beliefs around that issue.

• Know yourself and your beliefs
• Take a good hard look at your honesty level
• Know you are doing the best you can
• Relax your value judgments
• Examine your guilt
• Understand your motivations
• Ask yourself questions about what you don't accept

Society & Acceptance

Like happiness, society has some rather bizarre notions about self acceptance. On the one hand we have psychologists telling us it's good to improve our self-
esteem while at the same time, society says we shouldn't have too much acceptance and appreciation for ourselves. We are encouraged to be humble and show
humility. Do you know the definition of humility?
Page244
humility : the quality of being without pride, voluntary self-abasement.

pride : proper self-respect, a source of great satisfaction for which one feels some responsibility, a sense of satisfaction with one's achievements.