Self-love can be confusing as previously discussed. I spoke about the importance of discipline on our journeys and now I want to discuss the difference between self-acceptance and complacency.
The Google definition of complacency is "showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements" which basically translates to believing you are perfect and need no improvement. Unfortunately, if you bleed red, the same as I then this belief is damaging because we're prone to making mistakes and there is always room for improvement. Let's scrap the word improvement and say there's always room for growth.
You might've come across a complacent person before. They often say things like "this is just who I am" or "this is just the way I am" specifically when discussing traits they know they should work on. Now it's important to note I'm not talking about the way that you look (although it can resonate). I'm talking about characteristics such as being disrespectful, rude, lazy, etc. If there's something about yourself that you'd like to change, then with time, effort and consistency, you will.
So where does self acceptance fall into this wheel of growth and improvement which never stops turning? Self acceptance says "Yes I would like to improve in the following area of life and I have to start from where I am". It's being honest with yourself and choosing to be kind because improvement and growth doesn't come straight away. When I decided I wanted to pick up running as a hobby, I had to be realistic about the fact that I was very unfit and I started off by walking. Complacency would look like "I'm so unfit, I'll never be a runner" - how could I expect to achieve my goal with that attitude?
The important thing to remember on your journey is that as humans we do make mistakes and accepting those mistakes is the perfect place to begin improving. You can only grow from where you are.
#personaldevelopment #selfacceptance #selflove #personalgrowth