Be Proud of Your Scars

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

Sharon Salzberg

We all have regrets, fears, deep-rooted pain, triggers, idiosyncrasies, and scars. We have things we never speak about, but also never let go. We have broken dreams, holes in our hearts, and unwanted memories. We have had missed opportunities and years when everything went wrong and was a flaming pile of cow dung. We have all done things that warranted questioning our moral code and sense of self.

And when something unwanted happens, we flip through those moments like a photo album and grieve, blame, and shame ourselves.

The most critical part of self-love is self-acceptance. Self-acceptance is taking a hard look at those unappealing moments in our lives, and internalizing the lessons while letting go of the negative, unproductive emotions attached. Self-acceptance is not just skin deep. It is not only being cool with one of your eyes being slightly larger than the other or a gap in your teeth. It is being comfortable with the bumps and blunders, and scars on your soul.

Self-acceptance is my refusal to be in an adversarial relationship with myself.

Nathaniel Branden

Bruises and regrets. We all have them. Good, bad, or indifferent, they shape us. The song I’m dedicating to you is about accepting all that you are, scars and all. For Love Yourself Month, I want each of us to finally make peace with some of those old scars. Take the stinger out of the memories, suture the wound, file the lessons under “Now I know,” and pack it away for good. Do not blame others. Do not reprimand yourself. Do not suck it up. Do not push it away.

Heal.

This month, make a conscious effort to release old hurts from your mind, heart, and energy. It is time to love all that you are.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova