Self acceptance is a problem for many people. We all have faults and deficiencies we would rather weren’t there. We can often be quite hard and unforgiving of ourselves. A fault we would readily forgive in a friend we cannot bear to see in ourselves. We may be  disappointed with how our lives have turned out. We had dreams when we were young, but our lives turned out quite mundane, and we feel stuck and unfulfilled. 

These feelings are understandable, but they are not useful. It is true we are mixed bags, and our lives are often humdrum and filled with problems. But this is not the end of the story – it is where our spiritual journey starts. It is the soil in which all good qualities and spiritual realizations grow. Though we may feel stuck at the moment, our potential for spiritual development is unlimited, and we already have exactly the conditions we need to begin the process. Full acceptance of our present self and circumstances is the necessary foundation for authentic inner transformation.