The Power of Acceptance

The Power of Acceptance. Have you ever wondered if there was a simple, natural remedy to ease and dissipate emotional upset and personal suffering? If you have, please read on.

I have found that this antidote is called acceptance. Without acceptance we stay mired in the unchangeable and stuck in the past. In fact, without it, our past becomes our future. When we do not accept things that have happened to us or anything that we did in the past, we suffer.

Acceptance of ‘what is’ can reduce your stress and anxiety levels.

Also, not accepting anyone that challenges our belief system, or looks, acts, or prays differently than we do, creates a tremendous amount of unnecessary and unwanted suffering.

With acceptance we can move on and create different results and brighter tomorrows. It is only with acceptance that we can see the silver lining in the cloud. It is only with acceptance that we can grieve the disappointment and begin to let it go.

The power of acceptance is this: it is the key to inner peace! One of the great lessons of my life has been to no longer hold on to disappointments and resentments. They act like a heavy ball and chain that we drag along with us day in and day out.

With acceptance we begin to dissolve our anger, rage, and disillusionment. We move from why did this happen? to perhaps this happened for a reason, and I am open to seeing it through and learning what that reason is.

Acceptance falls into many categories. The most influential is acceptance of yourself. Next comes acceptance of others, of outcomes and of situations we cannot control. Acceptance does not mean that we do not set boundaries, do not care, become apathetic, or stay in a toxic or dangerous environment. Acceptance is something we do for ourselves so that we can gain a level of inner peace and calmness. By accepting a situation as temporary, we can create an inner space where more desired outcomes become reality.

I learned years ago to trade my resistance for acceptance when it came to difficult people or situations that seemed to adversely affect me. Let’s apply the power of acceptance to a situation we can all relate to: the divisiveness we are experiencing here in America. Believe it or not, this divisiveness serves a purpose.

Admittedly, we all have our individual biases and misperceptions, and it is time for each of us to look in the mirror and accept this fact. Accepting our biases and misperceptions means we take responsibility for them. It does not mean we are bad; it means we are wounded. As I navigate the world, I remind myself: hurt people hurt other people.

Prejudice, bigotry, anger and resentment are aspects of fear and fear is simply the absence of love. It is the responsibility of each of us to be open and willing to look within and see what we find. Sometimes we don’t like what we find, yet when we get deeply honest with ourselves, we can begin to clean up our inner ‘house’ and create real change for ourselves and the world. It is our anger, resentment and non-acceptance of ourselves, other people, situations, and experiences that perpetuates our suffering.

There is a saying that goes something like this: you cannot give away what you do not have. In other words, if you are full of hatred, anger, resentment and feel left out, that is what you will give and that is what you will receive. On the other hand, if you feel love in your heart, possess compassion, empathy toward everyone, and genuinely accept and appreciate all that you have and who you are, then, that is what you will share with the world.

We have all made mistakes, both individually and collectively. It is time to admit our mistakes and shortcomings, take responsibility for allowing them to misguide us, and then let them go once and for all. And yes, we’ve all had disappointments. Isn’t it time to accept this fact and let them go? This is the power of acceptance.

Accepting ourselves, other people, and situations as they are does not mean we necessarily like what is happening to us. What it does mean is we are willing to acknowledge our upset and disappointment and give up the resistance and struggle we experience when life doesn’t go our way.

None of this means you live in denial, pretend to be a doormat, or not draw boundaries with others. What the power of acceptance has done for my life is it has become a catalyst for positive change. It has allowed me to get honest with myself, give up being self-deprecating and hyper-critical of both me and others.

You will notice that when you practice acceptance, you:

• Invite the presence of intuition and calm into your life.
• Accept and let go of being so emotionally attached to past mistakes and what and who are not acceptable in your life in this very moment.
• Gain incredible clarity.
• Are less likely to re-create the past that made you feel disappointed and unhappy.
• Shift your attention from what might feel wrong, bad, or hopeless to that which is right, good, and hopeful.

Other people will feel your shift and that’s so big because over time, all your relationships, situations and experiences will improve.

In the past you may have felt victimized, and you suffered immensely. Now, by using the power of acceptance you will be able to create solutions that lead to a happier and healthier life experience. You will begin to live your life on your own terms.

If you are having difficulty accepting a person or a situation, or require assistance with letting go, contact us for an introductory coaching session.

Written by: Jon Satin
Jon Satin and Chris Pattay – The Possibility Coaches™
©Possibility Coaches, LLC