Learning how to accept yourself as you are can be a bit of a challenge, but it is a way to reduce stress and self doubt, and to improve your self-confidence.

Most of us aspire to be something we’re not, at least from time to time. There are entire industries out there ready to help, at a price. Some of them are so eager they’ll give us a helpful nudge with alarming messages about what awaits us if we don’t improve ourselves.

It can be difficult to ignore them. It takes strength of character and self-confidence to accept yourself, warts and all, without feeling the need to change something. Achieving a zen-like state of calm is not easy, and keeping it is harder (but you could always go on a course).

There’s a lot more mileage in being what you are. It uses less energy, is less prone to failure, less disappointing (once you get used to it), and it costs less. The big advantage that many people miss is that, when you recognise and celebrate who you are, others begin to recognise it too.