Why Embracing Who You Are Now Can Change Everything
There’s a kind of freedom that doesn’t get talked about much. It’s not about travel or money or being able to do what you want when you want. It’s quieter than that. But more powerful.
It’s the freedom that comes with acceptance. I don’t mean a sad resignation, or giving up or letting yourself go (ugh, don’t get me started on that phrase).
I’m talking about deep, grounded, soul-soothing acceptance. The kind that makes your shoulders drop, your breath slow, and your inner voice soften. The kind that allows you to finally meet yourself where you are and love yourself there. Stop waiting for the perfect body or time to start living fully. Your time is now.
Learning to Let Go of “When”
So many of the people I work with have wardrobes full of “when” clothes.
“When I lose a stone.”
“When I’m back at the gym regularly.”
“When I’ve got a reason to make the effort.”
“When my life calms down.”
You get the gist.
I’ve been there. I had a whole period I call the “Treble F” phase: Fat, Fed Up, and Frumpy. My self-worth was hitched to a number on the scales and my outfits were more about hiding than expressing. I genuinely thought I had to earn the right by being slim to feel stylish. To feel seen and to feel good.
That version of me wouldn’t have dared to wear sequins in the daytime. Or own a bright pink mobility scooter. Or blog about reclaiming visibility at 60.
But that version of me also hadn’t yet learned the power of acceptance.
Acceptance Isn’t the End—It’s the Beginning
For a long time, I’d always linked accepting things, whether it was my weight, my mobility or more recently fatigue—would mean I was giving up. Like saying, “This is it now.”
But acceptance isn’t the end of the road. It can be the start of a whole new chapter.
Looking back I can now see where it’s allowed me to stop waiting and start living.
When I stopped beating myself up for not returning to the the slimmer, lighter, pre motherhood version of myself, I started dressing for the woman I actually was creative, expressive, bold, generous, powerful. The version of me who deserves to feel fabulous today, not someday I get back to a number on the scales or the labels in my clothes are back in the ‘teen’ numbers.
More recently, in Nov 2023, when I accepted that walking hurt (a lot) and I needed serious recovery time and that I was missing out on so much, I bought a rollator. I pimped it up with glitter and flamingos and called it my “wandering throne.” I started imagining a life where I could move through the world on my terms and still sparkle while doing it.
And when, in Jan 2025, I took the plunge and got Cissie, my mobility scooter, it felt like the final click of a puzzle piece. Not a compromise, a liberation.
Acceptance Brings You Back to Yourself
Acceptance is an act of self-trust. It says:
“I believe I am enough, even if things don’t look the way I thought they would.”
And the thing is, when you stop spending all your energy trying to be someone else, you get to actually be yourself. Fully, joyfully and unapologetically.
It’s why I’ve started painting again. (And sewing and writing.) Shifting from hustle to harmony, working much less. Choosing how I want to spend my time, rather than letting the “shoulds” rule the roost. I’m even trying “semi-pensioner” on for size and I’m finding it surprisingly empowering.
I’m not leaving my work behind. I love it. But I’m doing it even more on my terms now. Accepting my pace, protecting my spoons, and prioritising the things that feed my soul.
The Illusion of “If Only”
So much suffering comes from the story that life will begin once something changes.
“If only I was thinner, fitter, richer, braver…”
But what if this is it?
What if this body, this season, this version of you is not a pitstop or a problem, but the main event?
What if you could stop trying to fix yourself and start listening to her instead?
Because she’s got a lot to say, that inner you. And chances are, she’s fed up with being silenced under layers of black “slimming” clothes, unkind thoughts, and shrinking energy.
Acceptance is the antidote. It makes space for joy, for style, creativity and your voice.
Clothes Are an Act of Self-Love
You have to get dressed every day anyway. Why not do it in a way that says “I see you”?
Not in a make-do outfit. Not in something that sort-of fits and sort-of hides and was in the sale. But something that genuinely feels like you.
Because that’s what I help people do. It’s never just about the clothes. It’s about the identity underneath. It’s about showing up in a way that reflects who you actually are, not who you think you’re supposed to be.
And when you dress in a way that aligns with your essence, something shifts. You stand taller. You speak with more confidence. You feel more… present.
That’s not fashion, it’s psychology and science. (Hello, Enclothed Cognition.) And that’s the magic of choosing to accept yourself as you are and dress from that place.
The Courage to Be Seen
Acceptance doesn’t mean life stops throwing curveballs. It doesn’t mean you never feel frustrated or grieve what used to be possible. I still have moments where I struggle. Where I feel less than and question.
But I also have moments where I feel proud, free, creative and alive. And those moments are growing by the day.
Because when I stopped judging myself against some version of perfection and started showing up real, messy, sparkly and sore and human, more of my people have found me. My energy has shifted. My work has deepened even more and my personal sense of self has expanded. Acceptance is what has made that possible.
What Might Acceptance Look Like for You?
· Maybe it’s retiring those “when I lose weight” clothes and making space for garments that make you feel amazing now.
· Maybe it’s saying no to events that drain you and yes to spaces that fill your cup.
· Maybe it’s giving up the hustle and choosing work that honours your energy.
· Maybe it’s painting for the joy of it. Wearing leopard print just because. Saying “sod it” and finally getting the scooter.
Whatever it is, I promise you, it won’t make you smaller. It’ll make you more you.
And that, my lovely, is liberation.
Over to you:
Where are you resisting acceptance in your life?
What would it feel like to stop fighting yourself and start celebrating her instead?
If you’re ready to explore what self-acceptance might look like in your wardrobe, your brand, or your next chapter, I’m here for it and can guide you. Let’s make your next move a joyful, aligned one.
Book a Style Strategy session (from £99) or drop me a message. Let’s talk about what’s possible when you stop waiting to be “ready” and start dressing for who you are right now.
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