How can I accept my shortcomings and still change?

When you have shortcomings, see them clearly and work on them gradually. You do not need to reject your whole self because of them. None of us is perfect. We need learning because there are still things we do poorly. Acknowledging shortcomings and liking yourself can go together, and one comment from someone else does not have to determine who you are.

For example, I like my given name very much. Even when someone said it was not a good name, I did not change it. I can listen to that view, while my own identification with my name has its strength too. A fellow practitioner also shared accompanying a friend to a name-analysis teacher and having their own name assessed along the way. Most of what they heard concerned shortcomings. Yet the practitioner liked the name given by their elders and used it happily, without feeling obliged to change it according to that assessment.

Spiritual practice also means comparing yourself with your past self. Improvement today over yesterday deserves recognition even if you are still far from full marks. Moving from thirty points to thirty-five is progress. You cannot erase it all simply because the score is still below a passing grade. Valuing your strengths and continuing to correct shortcomings do not conflict.

A fellow practitioner compared this learning to a mirror that reveals what is hidden. Spending time with others revealed anger, dislike, and a tendency to want to give up. As these reactions surfaced, the practitioner could recognize them and address them one by one. Seeing shortcomings creates an opportunity to adjust. It does not mean discovering that you still have weaknesses makes everything about you bad.