Accepting who we are, who we have become, our lives, our jobs, our friends, our destiny as it has evolved--this is our fruitful practice. Accepting who we are is a practice of non-harming. Sadly, much of self-help literature contains seeds of harm: We are urged to remake ourselves into someone who will be spiritually or psychologically acceptable, and that acceptance is conditional on our performance in the areas of therapy, growth, or meditation. We are still not accepting ourselves unconditionally, just as we are in this moment, with a full and joyful heart.
A more merciful practice begins with acceptance. It begins with the assumption that we were never broken, never defective. By surrendering into a deep acceptance of our own nature--rather than tearing apart who we are--we actually make more room for genuine, rich, merciful, playful growth and change.