#Acceptance March 3

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Today contribution to the 30-Day Letter Writing Coach4aday Challenge is on ACCEPTANCE.

The challenge involves composing a letter to yourself when you were an earlier age. The goal is to focus on a value, habit, or choice that needs to be adopted or made.

Today I revisit a time in my younger life when I questioned my value. It all was taking place as an 8th grader when I was confusing popularity as being the same as self-worth.

Day 3-Acceptance

Dear 8^th Grade Dan:

Was hoping you would have time to think about the conflict you have today about not being ACCEPTED. Seems you have become fixated on being viewed as popular amongst your classmates. Realize that a couple events the past month have caused your self-esteem to take a big dive. When the two best looking girls in 8^th grade have birthday parties and you don’t get invited it can trip up your emotions.

What I want to share is looking for external validation of your self-worth by what events you are invited to in 8^th grade is not going to matter later in life. Acceptance starts with you. Fitting in and being accepted by others is like driving on a worn-out road. We are going to encounter potholes. Yet not every road is the same. Often rough roads can lead us to the expressway that takes us to fantastic destinations. It is always slow going on the rough roads. Time driving on bad roads can validate patience, importance of adapting to current conditions, and how to navigate or minimize pitfalls.

So today begin to ignore your inner critic that wants to misinform you of your value. Think about what it takes to become a friend versus fretting over what others may think of you. Start cultivating friendships by investing in others. That means spending time helping and listening to others.

I’m optimistic as you progress thru high school, college, and your professional life you are going to grasp that helping others is going to bolster your ACCEPTANCE of yourself. The universal law states that becoming a friend takes place before having friends. Once you invest in becoming a friend to others you may find moments in life where you are invited to more events than you can ever attend.

Grown Up Dan