Keep it real

"Sólo si me siento valioso por ser como soy, puedo aceptarme, puedo ser auténtico, puedo ser verdadero." - Jorge Bucay

Translation: "Only if value myself for being as I am, can I accept myself, can I be authentic, can I be real."

These sentiments seem especially salient to me of late. One has to accept oneself as being worthy, taking into account deficits, proficiencies, and geniuses, so that one can be an effective human being leading a meaningful life. If one follows the maxim, "To thine own self be true," the result, says Bucay, is good. The result is acceptance, authenticity, and a firm rooting in reality, where one can subsequently effect changes. The opposite implication, then, is that refusal to accept one's worth--i.e., lack of self-esteem, or self-esteem based on fantasy and not reality--can only lead to falsehood, fakery, and impotence in the world.