Acceptance ……
This word is just a word when we say it, but it has so much meaning.
I have talked about acceptance. A lot over the years as I have always struggled to fit in. I can’t say I wasn’t confident but knowing who and where I fit into society.
I didn’t follow trends as such, I tried too hard with people, to make them like me, to try and be something I wasn’t. MY whole life I wondered who Janine was.
There are several reasons for this, but after recently being assessed and diagnosed with ADHD, my life and who I was made sense. It wasn’t me, it was my brain, it was my mind making me behave and think differently.
Over the past few years, especially the last 18 months, I have finally started accepting a few things.
I accept who I am,
I accept I cannot change or do anything about the past or things I have done.
I accept that life isn’t perfect.
I accept my wobbly bits.
I accept I am different.
I accept I can’t change people
I accept I cannot make people like me
All of these acceptances have helped to change my whole way of living and bring me a way of contentment in my life. I can truly say, it’s a lovely feeling.
How did I get there? Understanding what ADHD is and how it affected me, has helped, however, writing feelings down, reflecting on the past and understanding that it happened and that I can’t change it, has also been a big part of becoming accepting of myself.
Another big part of acceptance is to forgive yourself! You cannot change things that are done and said, so process what happened and forgive yourself.
I have written things down and burned the paper, this helped massively to move forward.
Whatever your reasons for struggling with accepting who you are and what you are, try these few things and you never know what happens.
All the best
Janine
