Hi everyone, after reading all the posts from all the different members I noticed a bunch of things but I will only talk about this one--self acceptance.
That is a great word but for some it is hard to achieve, I myself have not gained it but I am working on it.
I want to say congratulations to all of you who have self acceptance, it is hard, I see it in the posts of some, I know it is hard for me.
I know that some of the ones that have that quality of self acceptance have there picture as there avitar, again congratulations, to put your picture online is the ultimate signe of self acceptance and I say all you guys and girls rock!!!

One day I hope to have my picture as my avitar and not a look alike  
#*@! ,I meant to say wana be picture not look alike    
Keep up the good work, your all an inspiration, really it helps to see you folks doing it, it gives me the strength to say I can do it, Mahalo nui loa for your strength and self acceptance and aloha from your Hawaiian sister.

Jennie

Hi Jen.  Keep at it you will get there.

I started HRT just over 3 months ago, and noticed a major increase in my self-acceptance about the same time.  Retiring (pending going back to study) and going full-time caused me to fully switch my persona to the real me, and  now, for the first time in my life truly love who I am. 
As a result I find that I can now love everyone else. Sounds like an ageing hippy, but it is true.  Doesn't mean I may not dislike or even despise what they do, just don't hate anyone.

Being what the Samoans call fa'a'fahine ( I think I got it right, there is a post in News about it) is a venerable tradition in Polynesia, so you are being true to your island's original culture too.

Karen.

Well, I wouldn't put too much stock into a picture, as any ultimate display of self acceptance. I have to admit, I am very accepting of the fact that I am indeed a woman however, I have pretty low self esteem and confidence, and I always have fears that I will never be able to pass and whatnot. Ironically though, putting up a real picture of myself motivates me to work on myself more, since in my view my avatar is horrid, but I have started to realize that I may just be a bit hard on myself. So I would say I have accepted myself, but am still not happy with myself, if that makes any sense, but I am certainly working on it.

Personally, I do believe that self-acceptance is about looking in the mirror, analyzing your personality, and truly taking the time to find out which features truly do match with your personality (and figure this out without thinking of what society thinks, if you can). For instance, many trans have slight male touches to their face that they personally can't stand, but if they actually have a powerful personality, left-over male traits can sometimes give a woman a more powerful, dominant image that many natural women have in the real world. Or, if their personality is extremely soft and cute, they may know that more stages of FFS for example is right for them. The idea of accepting your appearance doesn't have rules, and there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing to stay natural, or to elect for FFS or hormones. It mainly has to do with what features you feel are right for your personality, your goals, and what you want to display to the world. You just have to make sure that what you want is truly right for who you are!

For instance, a strong nose may be considered a masculine trait, but it can also give a woman a defined, intellectual appearance - Lady Gaga has a strong, prominent nose for example. A wide, square jaw is not always considered negative - Rosie Huntington-Whiteley indeed has a bit of a wide-jawed masculine look about her but is incredibly sexy! Even Kelly Osbourne pulls off a very rounded, husky characteristic very well and with better style and hair choices, she's looking incredible as of late. Now, none of these women are reasons to ignore negative features if you truly do look like a man, and you may need improvements, but always just remember that what is considered "stereotypically masculine" may not hold true for everyone!