Self-Acceptance and Trust Your Gut

When I was in my twenties, I had an experience that taught me self-acceptance.

It wasn’t the kind of Self-Acceptance, that comes from Ego, rather it was Self-Acceptance that felt like, “I can take care of myself.” It was a kind of acceptance that said, “I accept myself enough, to trust that inner voice inside that knows what’s best for me.”

In 1991, I had a very frightening health crisis and could have died,  while lying in the hospital, I was put in touch with the Lord—the spirit within and its connection to everything. Then: I had a profound opening to make a choice about how to live the rest of my life. And because, during that frightening process, I’d discovered more about living than I ever thought was possible.

By the way, I don’t believe you need to have a health crisis to learn to accept yourself.

Here’s why:

Some people will tell you the truth as they see it, but that doesn’t mean it’s the truth for you. And some others are outright lying, trying to point you in a direction that benefits them, without any interest in its effects on you.

The bottom line is, while it’s helpful to surround yourself with supporters interested in relationships of mutual service, ultimately the best person to rely on when you make choices—is you.

To make choices in alignment with your true north will require you to become intimately familiar with yourself: who you are, what your purpose is, and how you can fulfill your potential. Then, when you find yourself struggling with a decision, your question will be, “In what way will this or that choice serve my greater purpose, as I see it?

So, the message today is ultimately about accepting yourself more fully, rather than seeking approval from others, as extrinsic validation.

Personally, I feel a good way to approach this is to live my life in a way that involves trusting my gut. How does that work? Like everything, it takes practice, slowing down, breathing and listening to the quiet peaceful voice inside.

What is that voice telling you?

What happened to me is a simple reminder of one of the most real truths there is: your body is going to die. There is no escaping that. So, if you’re holding back on anything you have to give, stop. Worried about being judged for your creative ideas? Skip it.

Today, is a message of inspiration and encouragement to you, as a man or woman that leads your own life in the most beautiful and auspicious ways.

In joy,

Stephen McGhee