We continue the conversation around another of the 14 constructs of well-being as presented by Psychology Today.

The importance of well-being has been widely acknowledged over the past twenty years by psychologists. But the concept itself is surprisingly complex.

In a recent study which aimed to bring some order to the confusion, Dr Ylenio Longo at the University of Nottingham, in England, examined the similarities and differences in the six most widely used theoretical perspectives on well-being.

Looking for similarities and differences across the six theoretical perspectives in how they defined well-being, he identified fourteen distinct and recurring constructs that are used to describe well-being: happiness, vitality, calmness, optimism, involvement, self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-worth, competence, development, purpose, significance, congruence, and connection.

Here we tackle self-acceptance as defined as “accepting yourself the way you are.” What does that mean? How do we that? Can we fully accept ourselves? Do you accept yourself? Fully? Completely? 

Listen in as we carry on with some interesting banter exploring acceptance and the successes and struggles we endure as find ways to accept ourselves. 

To you well-being and fully accepting who you are,

Mark

What We Discuss:

• A recap from the Phycology Today constructs that contribute to a sense of well being
• Acceptance and “who” and “what” are we that do accept
• Needing to know who we are
• How we define ourselves 
• What parameters we use to that inform our acceptance of ourselves
• Navigating in the world with our five senses 
• Love’s relationship to acceptance 
• What’s the opposite of acceptance?
• Understanding the different nuances associated with words as we define them
• Mark’s model of acceptance for himself
• Acceptance as a process for many of us
• Being confident of who you are in the world
• Aries’ struggles with sharing our podcast with his tribe
• Mark responds to Aries’ discomfort with how others respond to what he says 
• How Kundalini yoga shines the light on your behavior and thoughts
• Accepting the fact that we make mistakes
• Other interesting examples of challenges with self-acceptance and dealing with actions that have negative consequences
• Tools used to support acceptance
• Acceptance and the stories we tell ourselves
• Are there moral issues with how we deal with accepting ourselves
• Some of the suffering that Aries deals with around acceptance of others’ behavior
• Acceptance as a life long endeavor

Supporting Resources:

• The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
• The Book of Ho’oponopono by Luc Bodin M.D, Nathalie Bodin Lamboy, Jean Graciet