Since I was 14, I straightened my hair practically every day. It started out as an experiment and ended up becoming a habit. It got so bad that every morning I would wash my hair, put loads of product in it, blowdry it and then straighten it – all before I went to work!! This was very time consuming.. I used to hate it when it rained because I knew that it would make my hair wavy. Then I would get self conscious and think that I looked peculiar because my hair wasn’t straight.. Not very rational methinks!! So at Christmas I got my hair cut. And rather than straighten it, I have just let it be. I get up in the morning and wash it. That’s it. It dries naturally and it gets a gentle wave and you know what? It doesn’t look that bad at all!! I feel more comfortable now that I don’t have to put all that effort into something many people wouldn’t even really notice in the first place. My hair is soft and shining naturally now after I finally accepted it for what it was:) 16 months ago

I was running in the park tonight after work. It was a beautiful calm, crisp evening and there was a delicious smell of fresh cut grass. As usual I heard thundering feet behind me and was frequently overtaken by those with much larger and faster strides than me. I found myself questioning myself. Why can’t I be that fit? What am I doing wrong? And then I stopped myself. So what? Who cares what pace they go at or how far ahead they are, that’s their business, not mine! Just because I’m not that fast doesn’t mean I should think lesser of myself. There’s nothing wrong with slow and steady:) 21 months ago

I read this on a website tonight and think it might be useful for others too.. It basically helps us to try to be gentler with ourselves:

If good and bad were inherent qualities (true regardless of our assessments), then they would remain the same throughout time. History has shown this to not be true. Through out lineage, what we’ve called good and bad has changed.

So if “good and bad” are assessments, then you are free to re-evaluate those assessments. When you look at situations (and yourself) in terms of desires, and not as value judgments, you remove the negative connotations associated with “good and bad”. The examination of the situation becomes less volatile and hostile. You can simply make an observation, notice what you want or don’t want, and respond according to those desires.

(Source: http://www.selfcreation.com/acceptance/judgments.htm) 21 months ago

When I am filled, I can accept myself. How can I keep this state? 22 months ago