YOU are Accepted!

Tell a friend — hit share!

Congratulations! You are accepted!

This sentence encompasses the 15+ years of my career serving as a director of admission for private, independent schools. My role could be narrowed down to these three words: You are accepted.

Accepted, recognized, and valued for meeting the criteria of the school.

The Whole Child

My personal admission philosophy was based on the acceptance of the whole child. Being accepted into a school is more than just receiving a letter of acceptance or meeting enrollment numbers. Acceptance was based on many factors, but most importantly, the whole child philosophy was to ensure the applicant would be supported, challenged, and engaged by the school community, which I felt was significant to the applicant’s success.

This is true for our success as well. We all want to belong, to be a part of something spectacular, just take a look at the social media craze. Our desire for acceptance and inclusion is so strong that we often prioritize the number of likes on our posts and pictures from people we have never met, know nothing about, and will likely never meet in our lifetime. And, although we know this to be true, we continue to seek their approval and acceptance.

What are We Seeking?

History provides examples of our need for acceptance through our desire to join clubs and become members of organizations. In most instances, we join a group because of certain members of the group and our desire to be recognized as also belonging to the tribe. We’ve been joining groups and clubs for centuries due to our yearning to be included. And, we have a tendency to base our identity on the groups to which we belong!

What are we seeking when we join these groups? Is it about community and connection, or are we striving to be something or someone we are not?

I find it disheartening that in our quest for belonging, we rarely take the time to consider whether the choices we make are truly in our best interest. We convince ourselves that if an influencer is doing it, we must do it too, simply because they’re so cool and have so many followers and likes. Or if a friend is attending a specific school, we also need to attend the same school, regardless of the fit. And, we are willing to do whatever is possible to make it happen. Does this sound familiar? Remember the recent college acceptance scandal?

The Wrong Road

The comparison mindset can lead you down the wrong road, and before you know it, you’re navigating someone else’s journey. Actually, it’s your journey, but it’s based on what others are doing, without considering whether it’s what you should be doing or what you truly want. Then somewhere along the way, you get lost or break down, and you have no idea how you got there or what to do. You’re stuck, unable to move forward or backward; your wheels are spinning, but you’re going nowhere!

Have you been there? Perhaps you didn’t realize where your choices were leading you, and as you read these words, you’re struck with the realization that you’re headed in the wrong direction. Perhaps you’re frozen in your tracks and have no idea what to do next. You ask yourself, “What am I doing?” and “How did I get here?” I know because I’ve asked these same questions over the years. And, it’s in those quiet moments of self-reflection that I look up to look within.

Heed the Warning Signs

You see, our desire for acceptance can lead us down roads that were never meant for us to take. The danger signs are flashing, or the way holds a huge detour symbol, but we keep moving forward, ignoring all the warning signs. Our need to belong and be part of a group can be so strong that we make decisions that aren’t always in our best interest. And somewhere in the journey, we find ourselves wondering how we got to where we are…like we didn’t see the bright yellow flashing caution signs.

If we experience doubt or hesitation on our journey, it’s not God who is guiding us. We need to heed the warning signs.

If we want to be accepted, we need to know who we are and be confident in what we stand for. We need to recognize exactly who we are and whose we are.

If we want to lead a fulfilled life, we need to step into our God-given purpose. We need to be the person God created us to be.

YOU are Accepted!

For me, this means embracing my true self and loving my uniqueness – all the things that make me who I am. How can I expect others to accept me for who I am if I am not accepting of myself?

Today, I encourage you to join me in accepting ourselves and one another for who we are, and let’s celebrate who we were created to be. Let go of false mindsets and appearances. Free yourself of comparison and judgment.

And always know, YOU are ACCEPTED!

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV

If you’d like to learn more about acceptance and identity or you’re looking for help to work through your next step, click here to learn more. It’s that easy! My passion is to help women just like you take the next step to achieve your goals, overcome challenges, or get unstuck. It’s life-changing. I know because I’ve experienced great success due to the support and encouragement of my mentors and coaches. They are my team!

I love helping women gain the confidence to achieve their goals and dreams. And, with the right mentor and God’s Word, you, too, can gain the confidence and the strength to achieve your goals and aspirations. I look forward to hearing from you!