Saturday, February 9, 2019

Self Acceptance




In religion and in life, the constant drum beat that you must change or fix yourself to be "acceptable" and "loved" never seems to end. Our corporate society runs on the premise of conformity and 'remaking" and "changing" yourself to fit in. Being fat makes this one especially strong, a life time of being told you are not acceptable as you are takes a major toll. Only thin you is to be loved. One's life can become a cacophony of "You aren't good enough!"
and "You have failed!"


One prison that I had to work on breaking out of is having been taught I have to "earn love". I got tired. There was part of me a couple years ago, that finally looked on on the scope of my life, and realized, "I am never going to be what any of these people want me to be", and "Neither do I want to be who they want". I was sick of the hoop jumping, sick of feeling inside like I always had to be "nice", sick of being told I had to "earn" any crumbs of attention I got, or love, or notice or validation. I had been blamed for all my problems for years, that "I got what I deserved,", that "I didn't work hard enough" and that "I didn't try hard enough to lose weight, make money, or any of the other demands". With toxic religion, that was joined in too. The Christian God was just another abuser telling me I was "not good enough", "only deserving of hell" and who made false promises that I "didn't have enough faith" to see carried out in my life. His demands were endless too. I was a worm there too who never "measured up".

My abusers especially my sociopathic mother had indoctrinated me that I was only as good as what I accomplished or did for others. I was supposed to be what they wanted, do things they needed and match their opinions. I was supposed to never be jealous and smile at the good fortunes of others while mine fell. I was supposed to always make excuses just for existing, and apologize to people for being too fat, not fitting in, being too Aspie. I was supposed to shut down all of my emotions, and conform. I knew my family sucked but didn't understand why, and sadly grey rocked myself into utter repression.

I have worked the last couple years on myself in the area of self acceptance. One odd thing is years ago, I posted a thread called "I will do what I want". People probably thought that was an odd post on this blog, but it was a turning point in my life that resonates to today. Surely there are limits, I have to take pills and do medical things I don't always want to do. We have responsibilities like paying the rent, but I think at that point, I crossed a hurdle of sorts, where I thought "No one else is going to control me" and "I am done hanging out with people I don't even like!"  This was the "fed up" point on the heart meme above. I realized this was my life, and I had the choice to do what I wanted with it, and no longer had to be directed or influenced or pressured by people who simply were out for themselves.

The narcissistic family trained me to be like a puppy dog chasing after and begging for love. I started analyzing the fact, that it was better to be alone then ever be in that position again. Some years ago, I collected a bunch of emails and posts and noticed how they talked to me. I discussed this in the "Breaking Patterns" post.

As I read through the patterns I was horrified. I was so weak sadly in begging for their love and attention while they gave so little back. I realized these sick people had given me a ton of self-hatred as they told me over and over my flaws made me unlovable and only worthy of their rejection and the rejection of everyone else. Later when my brother came to hoover me, I remember thinking "Oh so nine years later, you are going to come crawling back? I'm not a sucker." After all doors had been slammed in my face over and over. I knew then they enjoyed watching me beg for their love and wanted to see me crawl back yet again, but those days were long over. I was mindful out in life not to repeat those patterns anymore with anyone else.

I thought of good people I knew, they were capable of loving people who were far from perfect and who had flaws. They didn't expect everyone to match them or conform. Good friends loved me simply for being me.  They didn't slam doors in people's faces. Being into no contact some years, I started to learn how normal people operated. I saw other "flawed" human beings, even "very fat" people or ones with disabilities or a number of limitations loved by others. That's how it should be. I knew I loved others who had flaws. Some people just the fact they existed was enough for me, and I was blessed to have them in my life.




The Unitarian Universalist church has a principle that became very important to my healing, they actually made it #1 on the list. They affirmed the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Just being alive made one valuable. This principle became very important to me. I also realized how seeing the worth and dignity of every person brought out more compassion in me, rather then seeing them as destined to "burn in hell" and other ill fates, that our narcissistic world wanted to confine them too especially in our world that focuses so much on status, and turns a multitude of groups into the "unacceptable" or "other".

I came to the conclusion that it was time to give myself the same acceptance. I enjoyed the love of a good husband for 20 plus years. I didn't expect him to be perfect to love him. I needed to turn the same eye on myself, and change things accordingly. We can give ourselves love and acceptance just for existing. We don't have to prove anything to anyone anymore. We don't have to "earn love". This was a trap the narcissists and toxic religion put me in.  There is no other person on this planet like me, and well I am a unique being who deserved love and care same as everyone else. There is no copy. Even with flaws, even with being super-fat, or with not enough money, I deserved love and acceptance, I had worth and dignity.

There are so many people out there who suffer greatly being told "They are not enough". They are told over and over they must be fixed or conform to be worthy of any love or compassion. This happens the most to people who have life set on the hard setting. They go into poverty or lose their health and they are told, "it's your fault", and "you didn't or aren't doing what you are supposed to."  Sadly in a multitude of ways this props up a destructive system in our country and gives sociopaths permission to run rampant over people.

The scapegoaters and judgers bring endless misery refusing to understand and tell people the lie, that they can fix everything and they must do so to be loved or accepted or cared about. I saw this in religion too. If you have enough faith, God will fix it, and it's simply not true. I have discussed on this blog, how the "FIX-ITs" brought me untold misery, as I was told over and over "YOU NEED TO FIX YOURSELF!" I was told over and over all the bad stuff that happened to me from the abuse, to the ill health and poverty were all my fault. Over and over I was told in churches and by my family that if I was a "better person" that my life would be better. I was told conformity would bring me results.Years ago I warned about the miserable and austere "achievement queens and kings".  It was all lies.

The only way out for me, and by the way, I have had some immense strides even when it has come to life-long depression even this year, was learning the art of self-acceptance. I didn't have to bang my head on the wall anymore. Self acceptance was the path out of the thick forest of narcissists and societal lies. I could love myself. I could "do what I wanted" and seek after what was important to me. Self acceptance brought me more love and compassion for others too. 


10 comments:

  1. Sometimes you hit the nail on the head and make me cry

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  2. Dear Peeps and Friends, gets me everytime, the bad information we are told about "forgiveness." It's like, we are expected to continually invite nosey-arse narcoid into our home. And yeah, Paul probably wanted really bad to punch Alexander the coppersmith right in the teeth - for very valid reasons. But Paul just moved on, away from Alexander's drama. In short, Paul let go the anger. Ya think Paul then invited Alex over to his superbowl party? Eh, i didn't see that passage.

    Seriously, preachers failing to clarify what "forgiveness" is, and what it's not, does so much damage.

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    1. I was reading a People magazine, left in free magazines, I don't buy that kind of thing myself, and well the BTK Killer's daughter was protrayed. She's written a book about her life with him. He played a double Jekyll and Hyde so she didn't grow up being beaten and abused, though she saw his anger on rare occasion. What made me sick is she did the "Christian" thing of forgiveness. Here's a guy who murdered people just for kicks, even an entire family except for two of their kids with the Oteros, and this is what the daughter wrote about him Feb 4th 2019 People magazine.

      "When I got home, I burst into our office telling Darian [her husband] I'd forgiven my father. I then sat down and wrote him for the first time in five years.

      I had come to terms with what happened with you and laid to rest. I am never going to understand it, but I forgive you. I'm sorry and I forgive you.

      There have massive struggles since forgiving my dad. Yet on the days when I'm not wrestling with hard, terrible truths. I will tell you I love my dad--the one I mainly knew. On the good days--I'm near as I can to being healed.

      His admission to her, "I have serious problems" was one written about in the article.

      Her family was Christian [Lutheran church]

      I read that and thought "why are you apologizing to him?"

      There's a certain thing in some modes of Christianity, where the abusers and totally evil are empowered. I was always told to "forgive" but no one ever tried to tell my mother to treat me better. I guess that's the best way I can explain it. I have had thoughts about how the "turn the other cheek" and "forgive 70 times 70" has impacted society in negative ways to the point that a daughter of a serial killer is telling her murdering sociopathic father, "I'm sorry". She has contact with him still as I could tell in the article.

      Victims in Christianity are told not to have any emotions, to suck it up. Let's look at the endless sex abuse cases, in Catholicism, the IFB and now being exposed in the SBC. Everyone will tell the sexually and other wise abused, they need to forgive. While the abusers have most of the religious leadership knowtow to them. There's some deep reasons I'm not a Christian anymore. I got tired of being told to say "I am sorry" to the evil.

      It made me sad reading that woman, apologizing to her serial killer father.

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  3. I've met hundreds of survivors (and maybe it is even into the thousands now). Believe me when I say that even highly paid, skinny women are deemed not to be "good enough" in their abusive parent's eyes. It isn't what you do, how many successes you have, because "narcissists and sociopaths don't feel good unless you feel bad" (quote from psychologist Dr. Judy Rosenberg).

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    1. I had a well-off--self admitted healthy woman comment here some years ago and told me that even if I had been thin or had career success and real money, they would have condemned me still, I believed her. She told me she had married into money and had a good life by all measurements but her family still treated her bad before she walked. I remember even when I was midsized and got my art education degree, back then one could imagine me having a near normal life, if I got the lung problems and weight under control, but I still treated very badly.

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  4. FHPP, who told you that as a TRUE Christian you had to be a doormat? What you continue to share about insensitive, hurtful people is not exclusive to Christianity. Heck! most aren't even truely saved and that's a fact. So now Christianity has become YOUR SCAPEGOAT!!!!!! They are your target for all the ills of this world including lies and deception. Are you even aware that ALL man made organizations that involve PEOPLE are always going to disappoint and hurt others. You cannot find a group that is exempt from this. We live in a fallen world and even you have acknowledged that yourself.

    The fact that you have embraced and praise the Uniterian Universalist Church shows that you need to have your ears tickled. "Tell me what I want to hear whether it's truth or not." Oh, how good it all sounds because it's all about YOU, YOU, YOU. Be very careful FHPP, you are sounding just like Satan in the Bible (Isaiah 14:12-16) "I WILL..." "I WILL..." and declared his "I WILL's..." seven times. You should take the time to reread it.

    As a new reader to your blog site, I have read a number of your earlier commentaries and it's really interesting and disheartening to read your current pieces. You come across to me NOW as a 'victim.' And a very angry and resentful one at that. Your writings now are very self focused.

    Look, my life has not been easy either. I understand your pain more than you can imagine, but the direction you have now chosen to go is a path to destruction. And I can guarantee you that all the encouragement you are going to receive with the discarding of your faith concerning Christ Jesus, The Word, is going to be by those who are already in darkness. Your earlier writings had a light to them; now your writings are full of darkness and I can feel it in my spirit.

    You ask, then why do you bother spending anymore time on my blog? Because I am trying to show you that the path you are on now is very dangerous and is the path to destruction.

    FHPP, I know people can be hurtful and disappointing. You have no idea what I have been through myself, but that is even all the more reason we need Christ Jesus in our life, to reside in us; otherwise, we are going to be just like all the other selfish, egotistical, narcisstic, unloving, resentful "demons" running around making life difficult for those who are in truth. This is a spiritual battle we are in whether you want to acknowledge that or not. Please do not be so focused on the here and now...this world is passing away and quickly I might add. I forgot, you used to believe all that nonsense but no longer. If you are in denial of this fact, then not sure you can be reached at this point because it is in our face now 24/7. Anyway, FHPP, this is my last response to any of your commentaries unless you have responded to me. I genuinely care about you, but especially about the condition of your heart. Please know I am coming from a place of care and concern. Be well!

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    1. I can't love a God or person who threatens me. Yahweh threatens people with hell. Hell is worse then having a gun held to one's head, because it is eternal. Yes there are liberal Christians who do not believe in hell, but I am talking conservative evangelical Christianity. I know you mean well, in that they had me warning others about hell, but think about this, look how you have to SCARE ME, to make me go back in. Peep you will burn, roast, fry, be sauted , left in outer darkness, ignored, be annihilated etc if you don't comply or BELIEVE THE RIGHT THINGS. I even think it is silly/horrible/terrible, etc, that people are threatened with hell over beliefs.

      Christianity [in its trad/fundamentalist/evangelical form] told me all the time to be a doormat. It told me to enable abusers, forgive them, etc, and that they were better then me while I was just deserving of nothing. Don't you get the main reason I deconverted is your God operates the same as my abusers? And when I was freed from them, I looked back on this God that claimed to be so loving, realized even all those years of begging prayers, never worked--by the way I asked it for two years to SHOW SOME LOVE, and was left holding the bag. Sadly there's many people out there who have gone through what I have, and I am dedicating some time to helping them and providing support. We have religious aspects of PTSD that actually run parallel with ACON abuse in that the threats of hell, aren't too positive to the human mind.

      I have theories right now, I may write on them even despite the controversy that the foundation of hell, and threats in religion have formed some of the violence, horrors and sociopathy in our society. While I have known kind and good Christians, I know many kind and good atheists. So how do you explain that? When I divided the world into lost and saved, it bothers me now how they were trying to teach me to write off so many people or spend my time trying to get them to conform. As for TRUE Christians, I hunted down that special unicorn, but I just found people have different beliefs, even in the Christian context, and people are people, some are good and some are bad, OUTSIDE of their beliefs.

      I don't see Christians as my scapegoat, there's many other religions I don't agree with. However in the American context, SOME Christians DO want to HURT me. They vote for my political and social oppression. They vote against me having disability and the ability to survive politically, and here I believe theocracy is a threat. I parted ways realizing the evils evangelical Christian supported. Why would I remain?

      As for organizations, yeah even the UU is not perfect but why would I remain within one, that is bringing oppression, hatred, racism, violence and politically wishes to destroy me? They fed me that line in the Catholic church too, to defend all the pedophiles and pedophile protectors that it was all Satan's fault [and no organization was perfect. Some are rotten to the core and from the foundation. I know believe that some religions are more harmful then others, and ones based on blood sacrifices, and violence, and that threatens eternal torture on anyone who does not comply, is one based in a foundation of violence and narcissism itself. Study EVIL on a blog for 7 years, and face medical extremes, one tends to see the world a very different way. Here there are Christians who do not believe in hell and do try to teach peace, but the majority of evangelical American Christians are on the side of war, violence and political oppressors.

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    2. continuing...


      As for a "fallen world", I am reexamining some views. I now feel complicated feelings about being told the world was so evil. All that separation from the world stuff was harmful and hurt my life, the places where I did not comply is where I still had some happiness and joy. It leads one to separate from people where is the love in that?

      I have strange thoughts about Jesus, still like him, which some of you may find odd, but have wondered how a son could be close to a Father that DEMANDED THAT. That would be an interesting exploration of the foundation of psychological violence, dominance and evil in our society. With Jesus I try to take the good teachings of love and compassion I can, and ferret out the world power and oppression theme of blood sacrifices, and domination. You still believe I am supposed to go to hell? Why? And why should anyone go to hell for BELIEFS?

      As for focusing on the here and now? What's wrong with that. I had years of my life ruined by narcissists, I am trying to ENJOY some of it. Oh the narcissists told me I was supposed to be sacrificing and holding out for the nebulous future [aka like people taking abuse for wills etc] so why should I ruin what life I got left, only thinking of the day when I am dead? This is a point of issue with Christianity too, they got everyone betting on the day after they are dead, instead of IMPROVING LIFE in the here and now. Life in this world would be far better if they didn't have people investing so much in the supposed one after it. So wonder most evangelicals vote for more suffering. I want to help people and give what love I can on the way out the door.

      I've read all the Bible so I know what Satan said. So having any self will or self decision making is wrong? Why is that? I always wondered why Satan rebelled. I mean if life with God was good, WHY WOULD HE? LOL I have thoughts here how Satan is used as a nemesis and bad cop. They made me very afraid that way too.


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    3. As for being self focused, sorry you feel that way. Since leaving Christianity I have felt closer to other people and more able to connect with them. I feel it has brought me out of myself, and I have even more interest in trying to be there for other people. Fundamentalism separates people definitely. I lack resources to help others as I desire to fully but others have helped me, and people have shown me love and care. Even with the "tickle the ears" UU, they went above and beyond for me in ways that were very special. Christians along the way too were nice and good people and helped me as well. So don't think I "hate" Christians I do not. I think evangelical Christianity is harmful to people but I know and understand I WAS IN IT, I MEANT WELL. Some of I and my friends have discussions about Jesus some were probably would be surprised by. I can't follow the world system of domination, compliance or threats. Maybe I did take some teachings of his to heart. I do question WHAT WAS ADDED. I put Jesus among others who have tried to bring love and truth. [a human being preaching love one another] I think if he came back he would faint at the behemoths in his name that are paired with governmental/worldly power, and domination. He would be horrified at the evils justified in his name. I question the religious systems. You know that is true. I don't think some big man in the Sky cares who is having sex with who, or is demanding everyone passes belief tests to be deemed worthy. There are other religions who preached a God or gods of love.

      So you consider me in darkness now. I probably would have said the same and DID say the same to one guy who converted out of the IFB years ago but ask yourself, how did someone who was "born again" leave and why? You see my themes on this blog of standing against abuse, domination and violence, boil it down, WHY DID PEEP LEAVE CHRISTIANITY? You could be joining me one day. You may regret as I did, the things I said to others, in being afraid and trying to unload fear on them too that I MYSELF had been given. Humanity is under a Stockholm Syndrome. COMPLY OR GO TO HELL. This religion has brought us a lot of hurt. As for danger, I can't love a God out of fear, it's not real love. When I was still a Christian, I told it, "it can come find me".

      I feel for you, like some tears even, because they had me so afraid too, and afraid for people's souls, and I realize now what a cage I was in and for so long too. I know you care, and do truly fear I will burning in the pits of hell one day but please think about my words. Thanks.

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