how to be happy, lesson #4.

Accept yourself.

A self-esteem study showed that people who are happy with themselves minimize defeat, treating it as an isolated incident that indicates nothing about their ability, while people who are unhappy with themselves magnify defeat, permitting it to become symbolic of who they are and using it to predict the outcome of future events. (Brown & Dutton, 1995)

You are not how much money you have, what you do for a living or where you live. You, like everyone else, are an almost inconceivably complex blend of abilities and limitations, strengths and weaknesses.

Rather than dwelling upon something you think is wrong with you and resolving to improve it, try resolving to accept yourself －acknowledge that with all your faults, you're still a complete, good person. Accepting yourself doesn't mean ignoring your faults or never trying to improve, but rather believing in your own innate value －first, last and always.

from 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People:

What Scientists Have Learned and How You Can Use It

by David Niven, Ph.D.