How to Embrace Self-acceptance and Confidence

How to Embrace Self-acceptance and Confidence

Negative people and their unwarranted comments are downright unnecessary, and their words can be hurtful to even the most confident and self-assured of us.

Whether it's ignorant comments from randoms on the internet, or unsought opinions from family, colleagues, or so called 'friends', many of us will have to face negative judgements at some point in time.

Move With Us Founder Rachel Dillon shares her words of advice on how she deals with negativity and turns her back to the haters.

Rachel posted a Reel sharing one of the negative comments she'd received over Instagram recently. 

She said that she's pretty blessed in the fact that 99% of the comments she receives are beautiful messages, but there's always still the 1% of negative comments, which is why this message is so important to share. 

When it comes to receiving comments about your looks, your body, and what you do with it, Rachel's main message is to own your body.

"Not everyone will love the way you look. In fact, if our intention is to seek the approval of others then we will never truly be happy. What is important, is for us to learn to love the way we look and to appreciate just how incredible our bodies are.

The truth is, we are all genetically completely different and it’s unfortunate that society has been programmed to idolise bodies that are completely unrealistic to achieve.

It took me time to accept my appearance and allow myself to embrace who I wanted to become". 

Rachel's words of advice are to stop doing things for 
any body else's approval but your own.

"I train to feel fit and strong. The moment you learn to stop training only for the way you look, and instead focus on training because of the way it makes you feel, is the day that your fitness journey will completely change.

Where I was once self conscious of my legs, I have now learned to love them! The best part, no one else’s opinion can change that". 

Rachel shared another negative comment she'd received on social media, in which the anonymous commenter told her to "be real". 

She noted that she wouldn't normally spend any energy responding to this, but she wanted to bring attention to the fact that these comments are upsetting for anyone, and wants to remind others that they're not alone in dealing with such negativity. 

In Rachel's response to the comment, she talks about what being 'real' means to her.

"To me, real is when someone is living their life authentically and exactly how they choose to. Expressing themselves through their style, music, art, work or whatever their passion may be, but owning it and embracing it wholeheartedly.

I still remember years ago, shopping at City Beach for cute crops I couldn’t find in activewear shops and wearing them to the gym. I remember people commenting on what I would wear, and I completely understood it because I knew I chose to go against the ‘norm’. I was okay with other people not approving, because I approved and that is what mattered most.

I spent so much of my time either working or training in the gym and had a burning passion for putting together cute outfits. Outfits I felt confident in, outfits I thought were cute and different! I chose to embrace a side of me that wasn’t necessarily accepted by others.

If I had chosen to let others comments and opinions steer me away from being who I am and wearing what I like, I would never have started my own activewear line @cropshopboutique.

If there’s one thing I hope to teach young women it’s to embrace who you are. It’s to dare to be different, it’s to go after your dreams, silence the haters and make magic baby". 

When you stay true to yourself and focus on your self-love, you will stay grounded in your own integrity despite the opinions or judgement of others.

Make sure you surround yourself with people who support you, listen to you, and inspire you to be the very best version of yourself. 

It's time to ignore the negativity, embrace your true self, and keep on shining.