I struggled with something very similar as far as accepting compliments and I think I still do now. I was raised with a father who was always very critical in everything me and my siblings did. Nothing was ever good enough and there was always room for improvement. And he wasn’t even in the military. My mother was the arms we would run to for shelter.

Today my parents have changed and grown so much. Thanks to God and books. We are able to talk about how the way they raised us shaped our way of thinking. But they also had a tough upbringing which in turn was all they were equipped with to raise their own children. So I really empathize with them.

Now, as my siblings and I are all adults with spouses and children I’ve come to realize that regardless of the way we were raised we can break the cycle every day we make a choice. Our children are our future and the next generation. They deserve our best selves.

I also agree with it being all about self-acceptance. That is definitely one huge step towards self-fulfillment.