Accepting Ourselves

By accepting the realities of ourselves and others, we can open the door to caring, sharing, and living in harmony. People recovering from codependency, adult children of dysfunctional families, and those seeking healthier relationships will find welcome wisdom and inspiration in the first hour A Moment to Reflect booklets, Hazelden's newest inspirational series for Twelve Step living. Each of these four take-along booklets contains 30 topical affirmations that guide us as we work to improve our relationships. The first four booklets in this series address setting boundaries, letting go, accepting ourselves, and living our own lives. Accepting ourselves and others means finding serenity in our relationships. In accepting others, we accept what we cannot change or control. In accepting ourselves, we discover and take responsibility for what we can change. Facing people and relationships realistically, we grow in trust, forgiveness, maturity, tolerance, and faith. We discover our similarities and learn to accept our differences without feeling threatened. By accepting the realities of ourselves and others, we can open the door to caring, sharing, and living in harmony. We can take care of ourselves and allow others to do the same. True acceptance brings relief from futile struggles and unrealistic expectations and fantasies. We learn to see ourselves and others as we truly are. We learn to see the spirit beneath the body, ego, and behavior. We begin learning to understand, accept, and love ourselves and others as our Higher Power does.