"Self-love isn't about thinking you're perfect; it's about knowing you're not – and refusing to beat yourself up over it."

Self-love and self-acceptance are the foundations for living a happy, fulfilling life. However, they often prove to be difficult for us to apply. The world we live in teaches us to criticize ourselves, compete with others, and meet impossible standards. The downside of this is that it traps many of us in a constant cycle of self-judgment and doubt. But ultimately, we do have the power to break free by cultivating self-love through self-acceptance.

As Becca Christensen recalls in "I Call Bullshit," after a tragic incident in her life, she felt like her sense of self-worth and self-respect were all taken away. Therefore, she teaches practicing self-acceptance, which requires awareness, effort, and patience. Through this, Becca helps people embrace all aspects of their lives – strengths, flaws, and everything in between. Developing this compassionate relationship with yourself can transform how you think, feel, and act. How do we do that?

Let's find out.

Tune Into Your Self-Talk

The first step is tuning into your self-talk and becoming aware of any negative internal dialogues. Do you put yourself down, criticize your appearance, or believe you're not good enough? Don't ignore or suppress these thoughts. Instead, counter them with kinder attitudes. Remind yourself that you are perfectly imperfect, worthy of love, and enough just as you are.

Quiet Your Inner Critic

That judgmental inner critic resides inside all of us, but you have power over it – the power of love. When it flares up with criticism, reflect on why those thoughts are coming up. Is it a part of your trying to protect yourself or keep yourself safe? There is often something deeper under the criticism, and if we can tap into that and approach it with love and understanding, we begin to hear less from this inner critic. In time, responding compassionately to yourself in this way helps soften self-judgment.

Celebrate Your Unique Qualities

Part of self-acceptance is recognizing and celebrating what makes you uniquely you. What personal quirks, talents, or passions set you apart? What principles and values guide you? "I Call Bullshit" reminds you that by identifying and owning these qualities, you will build self-knowledge and self-esteem from the inside out. This, in turn, will help ground your sense of self-worth in your authentic identity, not external markers like social status or approval from others.

Quit The Comparisons

Yes, it is tempting to compare yourself to others, but this wears down self-acceptance. Avoid measuring your worth based on your friends' accomplishments, celebrities' appearances, social media feeds, or airbrushed advertisements pushing unrealistic ideals.

"There will always be people who have things you want or seem better than you in some way."

Understanding this helps neutralize the comparison's sting.

View Setbacks With Compassion

When you inevitably encounter failures, flaws, or mistakes, treat yourself the way you would a good friend – with kindness, not criticism. Study what factors contributed to the situation without blame. Discuss what you learned and how you might handle things differently next time. Refusing to beat yourself up over perceived failures helps you bounce back stronger. In this way, self-compassion builds resilience. 

On our journey toward self-acceptance, we will likely swing back and forth between moments of inner peace and struggle. But as Christensen notes in "I Call Bullshit," anytime negative self-talk tries to creep up, you should recognize those old thoughts as false and replace them with new truths.

By patiently choosing again and again to meet ourselves with compassion rather than criticism, we internalize unconditional love. With this foundation firmly beneath us, we gain freedom and power to live fully as our true, imperfect, glorious selves.

If you are interested in learning more about practicing self-acceptance, "I Call Bullshit" by Becca Christensen is an excellent resource for you.

Read "I Call Bullshit" and start developing the power of self-love today!