Accept yourself as you are—and start from there. Learn to emotionally tolerate imperfection in yourself. It is necessary to intellectually recognize our shortcomings, but disastrous to hate ourselves because of them. Differentiate between your “self” and your behavior. “You” are not ruined or worthless because you made a mistake or got off course, any more than a typewriter is worthless which makes an error, or a violin which sounds a sour note. Don’t hate yourself because you’re not perfect.

