The Simply Luxurious Life®: First, Seek Self-Approval  

October 24, 2011

First, Seek Self-Approval

“You can succeed if nobody else believes it, but you will never succeed if you don't believe in yourself.” 

-William J.H. Boetcker

The paradox of being a human is that while we are social creatures, it is our own self-approval that is most necessary to live a contented life.  While critics may argue with this fact, I assure you, it is indeed true because unless we value ourselves, no matter how much approval the world around us bestows upon us, we will never be satisfied, and we will never feel settled.

“Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform.” –Susan B. Anthony

Take for example the successful pop stars – Michael Jackson, Britney Spears or Whitney Houston.  While talented, successful and adored by their fans, their unfortunate demise in one form or another was in succumbing to the image their fans perceived them to be.  And the pressure, the mentality that they weren’t enough without the success in part caused them to reach for medicinal means to assuage their inability to calm down and just be content with their own company.

The irony I find is that the validation we mistakenly seek from others reveals not what truly is, but what the observers sees based on their unique perspective and experience.  So in fact, their judgment should have no weight on how we feel about ourselves.  As revered Canadian Health and Fitness expert Yuri Elkaim shares, “We must . . . consider that when someone judges somebody or something else, it says little about the target of their judgment and volumes about them sel[ves].”

To understand why we seek approval is simple – we want to feel love. We want to be loved.  However, to only seek external approval is to create an evil cycle of dependence and insecurity that will never propel us to a life of inner peace.  The first step is to seek internal approval.  Once we accept and know that we are enough just as we are, that we have the ability to push ourselves and strive to live our best lives, then when we give to others it isn’t out of a need to get something back because we know that already we are enough.

Ultimately, at the core of desiring love is to feel secure, to feel safe, and once we realize that the only thing that is certain is our own abilities, mindset and actions, then we can also gain strength, inner-peace and security because we realize that by seeking internal acceptance we are giving ourselves what we once thought only others could grant us.  And consequently, it isn’t until we first accept ourselves, that others begin to accept us which is simply the sprinkles on top (not necessary, but sweet and delicious).

And quite frankly, continually seeking outside approval is exhausting.  Think about the many stressed filled hours that can be wasted by worrying about what others’ think?  Why not gain back that time to pursue the passions and enjoy time with the people we love?  Why not find the gumption within ourselves to do something that invigorates our spirit and provokes conversation whether it be supportive or critical?  At least, we will have owned our uniqueness and not apologized for it.  And the amazing and most wonderful gift we can give ourselves, to help us sleep soundly each night, is to have been guided by the successes and mistakes that come from being brave, and that means ignoring the crowds who are simply echoing what the man next to him is saying.

Yet again, writer Anna Quindlen sums it up quite well, “If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.”  And how can we possibly feel good about success if we don’t first approve of what we each choose to do?

“Every man stamps his value on himself ... man is made great or small by his own will.” J.C.F. von Schiller

So how do we go about trying to better accept ourselves?  Here are a few suggestions found on the blog Advanced Life Skills:

*Be truthful with yourself and others

*Be true to your values once you come to terms what it is that you value separate from outside influences

*Show consideration for those around you

It will take a shift in mindset if you are under the impression that external approval is paramount, but with conscious effort, the inner-peace, love and security that you desire will material. Be patient with yourself and trust that self-acceptance will occur.

{Receive additional simply luxurious ideas and inspiration by subscribing to the weekly newsletter. Click here to view a past issue and simply sign up by entering your first name and email address in the middle column to the right on the homepage of The Simply Luxurious Life blog. Each issue arrives promptly in your inbox early Friday morning or late Thursday evening depending on where you live.}

{Have a Twitter account and want inspiration throughout the day as well as being notified of the most recent posts on The Simply Luxurious Life? Follow me here @simplyluxurious.}

Images: (1) Musings in Femininity (2) Sebastian (3) Vogue Australia April 2011

5 Comments:

At October 24, 2011 at 6:10 AM , Blogger Becky said...

Shannon, you never cease to amaze and encourage me with your posts. And so often your posts are either exactly what I needed to hear, or are exactly what I have even struggling with. This is a definitely a bookmark worthy post. Thank you, and keep up the good work.

Happy Monday.

 
At October 24, 2011 at 9:53 AM , Blogger RealBeauty said...

What a beautiful posting. This is my inspiration for the day. I am in the process of learning to love myself. This posting inspires me to continue to do this. It becomes quite exhausting trying to please everyone around me. It is quite exhausting constantly worrying about what others think of me. NO MORE!!
http://realbeauty-realbeauty.blogspot.com/

 
At October 24, 2011 at 5:57 PM , Blogger Laura said...

Hi friend, the link to Advanced Life Skills doesn't work :(

 
At October 27, 2011 at 7:41 PM , Blogger Chantelle said...

You are a gem. This is a wonderful, enlightening post. Keep them coming!

 
At December 19, 2012 at 6:37 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is an amazing post.This is the one that I have been looking for a long time ago when I was struggling to find all the answer to my queries that's going on inside my head. I am very much enlightened and inspired because at last I'm certain that I have found the right answer. I am in my early 60"s now continuously learning from my experiences especially from the unpleasant experiences. I realized that to overcome all the unlovables and negative feelings as a resultof these experiences and create instead a world of inner peace and unconditional love I must first of all be able to know, understand, accept,and love myself. Thank you so much.

 

Post a Comment

Thank you for stopping by The Simply Luxurious Life. Please take this opportunity to share a comment that is either positive, constructive or contributes and elevates the conversation. The Simply Luxurious Life reserves the right to restrict comments that are mean-spirited, contain profanity or personal attacks, or intend merely to promote a personal or unrelated business. All comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by TSLL. Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home