Quotes About Acceptance

Mercifully, it will take only a critical mass of people who believe in finding love and connection across difference to change everything.

A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all women, men, and children.

Loving and accepting ourselves are the ultimate acts of courage. In a society that says, "Put yourself last," self-love and self-acceptance are almost revolutionary.

At the exact time that our society embraces shaming, blaming, judgment, and rejection, it also holds acceptance and belonging as immensely important. In other words, it's never been more impossible to 'fit in,' yet 'fitting in' has never been more important and valued

Today, I'm going to believe that showing up is enough.

My therapist, Diana, retired at the end of our work together (I know, don't say it).

But in those moments when disappointment is washing over us and we're desperately trying to get our heads and hearts around what is or is not going to be, the death of our expectations can be painful beyond measure. The

When we feel joy, it is a place of incredible vulnerability—it's beauty and fragility and deep gratitude and impermanence all wrapped up in one experience. When we can't tolerate that level of vulnerability, joy actually becomes foreboding, and we immediately move to self-protection.

To let ourselves sink into the joyful moments of our lives even though we know that they are fleeting, even though the world tells us not to be too happy lest we invite disaster—that's an intense form of vulnerability.

We must learn how to respond to ourselves with empathy and understanding. It takes a lot of work to stay out of judgment about others—it takes even more work to stay out of self-judgment.

Honest conversations about shame can change the way we live, love, parent, work, and build relationships. We have thousands of letters and emails from readers that all say the same thing: "I can't believe how much just naming and talking about shame changed my life!

comparing ourselves to others leads us to fear, anger, shame, and sadness.

Too often we forget about the "what is okay" part, and that leads to unnecessary disconnection.

The friend who is all about making it better and, out of her own discomfort, refuses to acknowledge that you can actually be crazy and make terrible choices: "You're exaggerating. It wasn't that bad. You rock. You're perfect. Everyone loves you.

As Anne Lamott said, "Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.

vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, and joy.

An intolerance for uncertainty is an important contributing factor to all types of anxiety.

We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to.

the absence of love and belonging will always lead to suffering. It

We're afraid that our truth isn't enough—that what we have to offer isn't enough without the bells and whistles, without editing, and impressing

When we're looking for compassion, we need someone who is deeply rooted, able to bend, and, most of all, we need someone who embraces us for our strengths and struggles. We need to honor our struggle by sharing it with someone who has earned the right to hear it. When we're looking for compassion, it's about connecting with the right person at the right time about the right issue.

Disappointment is unmet expectations. The more significant the expectations, the more significant the disappointment.

She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.

we simply prefer approval over disapproval).