Self-Respect | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh

Whether you are accepted or not

that depends

entirely on you

and not on the people around you.

And therefore, the complex,

the fear that not being accepted,

to be rejected.

It comes from you.

Maybe you have

the tendency to think that you are

a victim of rejection.

Because you have been rejected

by your parents,

by your brother.

And now

you are afraid that people will

reject you, will not accept you.

And you know that if you

reject yourself,

if you don't accept yourself,

how could other people accept you?

So you have to learn how to accept

yourself and not to reject yourself.

And if you are able to accept

yourself, not to reject yourself

then people around you will not

reject you, they will

accept you.

To practice accepting yourself

is very important.

You might have the idea that

you are not worth anything.

You are only uncertainty.

You are only

instability.

You are only suffering.

That is not true.

In fact, you are not like that.

You are more than your uncertainty.

You are more than your suffering.

And that is the statement made

by the Buddha.

Everyone has the capacity of loving,

of understanding,

of enlightenment.

Are you capable of making one

step in mindfulness?

Of course you are.

And when you make one

stable step, mindful step

you know that

you have self-respect.

Because a step made like that

can help you cultivate

stability.

You are capable of mindful

breathing.

You are capable of recognizing what

is beautiful, what is refreshing

and healing around you.

And inside of you.

You are capable of seeing that

you have eyes in good condition.

Eyes that can see a lot

of beauty in forms

and colors.

You know that you have

hands that can help a brother

or sister.

And if you are aware that you can do

these things,

and of course you can,

and then you

begin to accept yourself.

You are a Buddha to become.

You have the capacity

of understanding,

accepting and loving.