P: One cannot change what one was born with. But one can, under one own’s power, go about changing what use one makes of that equipment. So, in that case, one simply has to focus on what one can change, rather than on what one cannot. This is what I call self-acceptance.
Y: What one can change, and what one cannot.
P: That’s right. Accept what is irreplaceable. Accept “this me” just as it is. And have the courage to change what one can change. That is self-acceptance.
The Courage to be Disliked, pp. 210-211.
Followed by a short reference to the Serenity Prayer.
Preceded by a discussion of why self-acceptance is preferable to self-affirmation.
And ending with this:
We do not lack ability. We just lack courage. It all comes down to courage.
Italics on courage are in the original text.
Self-acceptance implies—no, it demands—recognition of my inherent limitations. Brain-fart focusing ability. Physical attributes. Etc. But those limitations do not mean limited ability.