The Power of Accepting Yourself

I do not have to agree with other people’s opinions of me.

I will never rate myself, only things about myself.

If I make mistakes, it is not because I am bad or sad but because I am a human being.

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy — R.E.B.T. for short.

If I was to offer you a £50 note, but before I gave it to you crumpled it up in my hand, would you still want it? Of course you would, because despite being crumbled, it would still hold its true value. However much you may feel crumbled by life, you will always hold your value.

When you refuse to rate yourself, you avoid feelings of anxiety, guilt and inferiority. By recognizing that everyone has shortcomings and that nobody is perfect, you’re in a better position to accept your weaknesses along with your strengths. It is healthy to rate your performance, and if you can change something or improve it then so much the better. But if you cannot change it, then accept it and still do as well as you can.

fallible human being who sometimes makes stupid mistakes.”

would argue that there is no such thing as ‘a stupid person’ – just a person who does stupid things. Everyone does stupid things; in fact,

Other examples of this confusion include equating making a mistake with being a mistake; having a failure with being a failure; and doing something that is bad with being a bad person.

an inadequate performance” with “being an inadequate person.”

Before even taking the time to think about his boss’s opinion, he concludes that because his presentation was inadequate he is inadequate.

if you make your worth as a person depend on your achievements, your feelings of self-worth will be temporary.