One of things that keep us from fully knowing God, ourselves and others is our lack of self-acceptance. Without self-acceptance we have no choice but to deny some part of ourselves that we struggle with. We do that because that part we struggle with makes us feel ashamed of ourselves in some way. Shame makes us feel awful inside so we avoid it by denying the part of ourselves we think is unacceptable. This becomes a vicious cycle that ultimately leaves us feeling helpless . R