"In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you."
-Andrea Dykstra
In order to love ourselves fully, we must learn acceptance of everything that has happened in our past and shaped us into the person we are. This includes accepting not only the good things, but the bad experiences as well. If we cannot accept these experiences, we become a prisoner to our past by replaying them over and over again in our mind. We cannot move forward with anything until we learn to release and let go. No amount of hate, guilt or regret will ever fix the past. Our only solution to set ourselves free is to accept and let go. This is true for those who have done wrong to you, and for forgiving yourself for any past mistake. When we learn to love ourselves it opens us up to be able to love others better, too.