Only now, after having my daughter in my late 30s, I have learned to hold compassion for myself.

My voice becomes my daughter’s voice, my actions become her compass (until she reparents herself), and my struggles become a part of her set limiting beliefs (until she goes through the self-discovery process and learns better ways).

It brings me joy. I can now see myself for who I am other than others’ voices, misappropriations, and society’s learned self-limiting beliefs. Emotional abuse, sexual abuse, trauma, loss of a child, attempt on life, pre and postnatal depression, cyberbullying, and in-life bullying, rejection, naysayers, and more, my body is still here.

All the labels of imperfections, my securities, and the unsolicited opinions about me will never “not” be there. However, I now know that I will be enough. I am beautiful and worthy. I deserve respect, and love starts with choosing what I choose to focus on.

The art of self-acceptance is one way of looking at self-love. It is a sincere acceptance of all that we are and have been as well as acceptance of all that others are and have been. It is an agreement to forgive anyone who has ever hurt us, ourselves included, whether intentionally or not.

It is a pact to ourselves to stop choosing to hide ourselves because of our perceived flaws or people’s false beliefs, projections, or stories about us.

It is embracing and seeing how the cracks and quirks add beauty both to our lives and the world around us as we choose to recognise that the qualities that make us unique are something to celebrate not suppress.

This embracing what either we or others might perceive as flaws enables us to let go of any limiting beliefs, thoughts, and behaviours that no longer serve us, and instead make choices based on things, places, and people who empower us toward more love.