Let people say and think whatever they want about you, Even if they're wrong, Even if it upsets you and makes you want to chase them just to confront them and fix the way they think or talk about you. Never do that to yourself, just find peace in knowing that the past belongs in the past and we're not in it anymore. You're evolving and becoming a better person than you were in the past, even if they don't want to see it. Some people are willing to stay blinded forever in their own circle just to make themselves feel good about whatever happened in the past. If that gives them peace let them. Let them feel at ease away from you. No matter how much you're hurt by them and their actions, you have to move forward with your life. You'll be okay, I promise.
What's important is that you know you're a good person who was brave enough to try and put an effort into fixing things and even sincerely apologized for your past behavior that caused others pain, that's the only thing that matters. You were strong enough to face the consequences of your actions no matter how unbearable the pain felt while doing it. You became honest with yourself by holding yourself accountable, acknowledging all of your past mistakes, truly forgiving yourself for what happened and finally starting your healing journey to fix and improve yourself and be the best version of yourself for YOU. That's enough.
I could be telling you for hours how worthy, lovable, and important and special you are, but if you don't believe it yourself, it won't serve to nothing. You'd be coming back for more and more, and nothing would really change.
The validation we find outside can only be of support of the one we find inside: vice versa, it won't be something lasting anything more than few minutes, maybe hours during our best days. Our insecurities would keep creeping in constantly, and we'd need to be validated and find support from another one once again.
We cannot depend on anyone for realizing and be sure of our own worth and lovability. We cannot give to others our self confidence. It would never be ours in first place, and it would change as other people change. It would never give us stability, but keep mining us. Plus, other people cannot always do that for us: that is not what they're supposed to do in our life. They're not here to give us value, to follow our rules and say/what we want them to whenever we need them to. They have their own problems, they cannot constantly "heal" ours too. I know it all comes from a very tough childhood (dealing with emotionally immature parents), very likely, but we cannot search for what we didn't have from our caregivers in other people and new relationships. We need to give it ourselves, first and foremost. And then integrate it with the feedback we receive from others.
Having a healthy sense of self-acceptance is crucial for mental well-being and resilience. It enables individuals to navigate challenges with greater confidence and cope with setbacks more effectively.
To cultivate a more self-accepting mindset, one can practice self-compassion, focus on strengths, set realistic expectations, and surround oneself with positive influences.
Resources on self-acceptance can be found in self-help books, psychology articles, and online platforms that offer guidance on building self-esteem and fostering a positive self-image.
Holding oneself accountable when combating negative thoughts involves mindfulness, challenging negative beliefs, and seeking support from friends, family, or professionals to reinforce positive perspectives.
**SELF REFLECTION QUESTION**
What are some ways that you cultivate self acceptance? You can say them silently in your head or share in the chat below to see what others think 💭
✭ Find an apartment in the same city my university is in.
✮ Find a part-time job.
✮ Revamp my whole wardrobe, focus on more mature, long-lasting fashion.
✮ Make a good impression on my professors; utilize office hours, be present and active during lectures, do assignments promptly.
✮ Build discipline (God knows I never did)
✮ Rid myself of an anxious, stressed, self-sabotaging mindset; overcome my fear of inadequacy and failure disguised as perfectionism.
✮ Get back into doing yoga.
✮ Write more frequently, finally finish a first draft.
✮ Enjoy my relationship, but don’t let it distract me from my goals and obligations.
✮ Be more social! ♡ Make new friends with my cohort and people from the new city, crawl out of my shell, simply enjoy being a young university student.
✮ Achieve my reading goal, but consume literature critically; begin a reading diary which expresses my feelings and observations about read work explicitly and eloquently.
✮ Expand my vocabulary, both in English and my mother tongue.
✮ (Vague, I know) Become a better version of myself. A version of myself I would enjoy being friends with.
There are several common mindset flaws that can affect people, including:
Negative self-talk: Negative self-talk involves the tendency to focus on negative aspects of oneself and one's life, leading to feelings of anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem.
Fixed mindset: A fixed mindset is the belief that abilities and traits are fixed and cannot be developed or improved. This can lead to a lack of motivation and a fear of failure.
Confirmation bias: Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms one's existing beliefs or opinions, while ignoring evidence that contradicts them.
Black and white thinking: Black and white thinking involves seeing situations in terms of absolute, either/or categories, without considering shades of gray or complexity.
Catastrophizing: Catastrophizing involves overestimating the likelihood of negative outcomes and imagining worst-case scenarios, which can lead to anxiety and fear.
Victim mentality: A victim mentality involves believing that one is powerless and that outside factors are responsible for one's problems and failures, rather than taking responsibility for one's own actions.
Procrastination: Procrastination is the tendency to put off tasks and responsibilities, leading to stress, anxiety, and missed opportunities.
It's important to recognize these mindset flaws and work to overcome them. By developing a growth mindset, focusing on positive self-talk, seeking out diverse perspectives, and taking responsibility for one's own actions, individuals can cultivate a more resilient, positive, and productive mindset