Good Life Tip: Self-Acceptance

Posted by Jerry Lopper Mar 6, 2007

The new and growing field of positive psychology offers much good advice with loads of tips to help your pursuit of happiness and the good life.

For more Positive Psychology material see Positive Psychology Tips and Tools in the index.

Good Life Tip:

The greater your self acceptance the greater your level of happiness. We tend to focus upon our shortcomings, but this negative focus can be depressing if we dwell on shortcomings excessively.

Instead, enhance awareness of your positive qualities.

Make a list of your strengths. Reinforce your strength awareness with a widely used assessment, the VIA questionnaire. It's free and part of a huge Positive Psychology research study.

Reflect upon your values. What values do you hold highest? Your values provide your strengths of character and form the foundation for who you are.

Recall the positives people say about you. Resist the temptation to discount sincere compliments; instead, relish and relive them frequently.

Keep a folder handy of your strengths, your values, and compliments you treasure. When you feel down or blah, pull out the folder and read what you've written. You will feel better.

More Good Life Tips under Positive Psychology Tips and Tricks in the index.

Source: Positive Psychology and Coaching, P.A. Linley