Why self acceptance is more important than success

When I failed high school for the second time, I thought my life was over. And when the only job I could get, was hosing out dog shit in the kennels at the local dog’s refuge home, everything I feared was confirmed.

Bad grades = I’m a failure.
No education = I’ll only ever have meaningless and menial jobs.

But something quietly inside of me called that out for what it is.

I had grown up in a dysfunctional family and strangely that had taught me to see things differently, to see opportunity where there was none and to value creativity, curiosity and self-reliance.

In time I realised that learning to accept myself as I am, and following my own journey was more important than being traditionally ‘successful’. When you’re only focused on outward rewards, you become a victim to everyone’s idea of what you should be and then the mental health issues that can arise from that.

That is why self-acceptance is such a big part of my Here I am! video course for kids. If we can get kids to begin to develop their own internal validation system and sense of self-worth, it gives them a greater foundation on which to be braver in the world.

And society will be better for it.

Module 1 of Here I am! features 9 inspirational videos about self acceptance, including the popular, ‘even cool kids have to poo’ message.

As an aside, Module 4 is about building kindness and empathy, which is based on my new kid’s book, Being Wildly Kind which is available for preorder now through Booktopia.