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59www.i-am-magazine.comimperfections. They need to resist the urge tocriticize themselves.What Self-Acceptance Is Not:When people talk about accepting them for whothey are, some assume it means staying wherethey are without improving. That's onemisconception about self-acceptance. Butaccepting yourself doesn't mean not trying toimprove at all.It means admitting your shortcomings and thenproceeding with self-improvement. Of course,accepting yourself is a good first step. It allowsyou to focus on your good qualities to feelbetter about yourself.It also helps you rid yourself of feelings of guiltand lack of self-esteem. But that doesn't meanyou shouldn't do anything about your life. Itdoesn't mean resigning yourself to your fate andleaving it alone.It means recognizing your mistakes and thencorrecting them. It means being aware of yourweaknesses, so you can learn how to overcomethem. And all of that comes from selfacceptance.So, what steps can you take to better acceptyourself?1. Become more compassionate aboutyourself. Before embarking on this journey,many people are in a cycle of beratingthemselves and wishing they were different.That can be stressful and highly detrimental.Instead of constantly comparing yourself toothers, take the time to appreciate thequalities you possess and don't mind thatyou don't have the others yet. Be gentlewith yourself when you go astray.Avoid beating yourself up. Show yourselfcompassion and understanding, and useyour mistakes as motivation to increaseyour self-awareness and act.