The Art Of Self-Acceptance: My Journey Grappling With The Concept

For many of us, the art of self-acceptance is a journey that isn’t easy. We often blame ourselves for our shortcomings, unable to see past the opinions of others. 

I still remember the first time I got a bad grade on an assignment in my video and audio production class in college. The number on my screen stared and laughed at me. I tried to brush it off, but the thought that I wasn’t a good student nagged at me. Despite doing great in my other classes, why the C suddenly? How could I let that happen? 

I allowed the dejected feeling to marinate in my mind. I heard my classmates excitedly discussing their grades and feedback together, but I felt too embarrassed to participate. 

For my next assignment, I created a game plan and outlined what I needed to do to achieve my desired A. I followed my outline and ensured that I gave myself enough time to complete each step of the assignment. After countless replays of my final project, paying close attention to any mistakes, it was time to submit.

Feeling confident that this grade would be better, I was wrong. Seeing the exact same grade as my previous assignment was no less than discouraging. Nothing had come about after all the effort I made.

I had mentally tapped out as this continued throughout the semester. I just sat with the belief that I’m just not a technology person. The thought depressed me, and once again, the idea that I wasn’t smart enough resurfaced.

Fast forward to my time in university, a photojournalism assignment was part of one of my core courses, and I was dreading it. My previous experience had set the tone for anything technology-related, and I genuinely felt scared to complete the assignment. After all, I was just not smart enough when it came to technology.

Still, I tried my best and anticipated my grade with dread. When my grade came back, I was shocked. An A+? I had outdone myself despite how bad my last experience was. This got me thinking about why my grades were drastically different. What did my teachers think when they assessed my work, and what did this mean about me? 

Truly no one person has the same thought process, so their perspectives are bound to be different as well. I think about how diverse my friends’ music tastes are and how their fashion sense is all different and unique. Even artwork appeals to each person differently. I realize that everything is quite simply subjective.

No person is the exact same as another. People have unique perspectives that are influenced by their personal understanding of the world. 

The more importance we give to others’ opinions about us, the more likely we are to overlook our own worth. We should rely on our acceptance of ourselves rather than allowing others’ opinions to dictate our self-worth. In any case, people are ever-changing and constantly evolving, and so are their opinions. We should take their feedback with grace and never let it determine our self-worth.  

Self-acceptance is a radical act of self-love that can lead us to personal success — with self-love and confidence, anything is possible. 

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