Thank you for your reflections. I appreciate the reminder to strive for self-acceptance. We can be our own harshest critic, and treat ourselves in ways we would not treat a friend. The part on narrative identity reminded me of something. To try to change my behavior, and some of my attitudes toward myself, I re-imagined my "narrative," my concept of who I was. When explaining my life, I had always started with, I grew up on a farm.... I had not lived on a farm in over 20 years. I had to look at my life and see where I was and start afresh. The narratives we cling to can blind us to who and where we are.

Thank you again for these ideas!