Acceptance is the ability to see things as they actually are in the present moment. Acceptance does not mean you have to like or agree with how things are. It does not mean you cannot work to change the circumstances of a situation in the future. Acceptance is the willingness to see things as they are right now, to let go of the expectation that you want things to be different or that you wish for things to be different.
Acceptance in Everyday Life
Take for example this situation. You arrive at the airport and miss your flight. There could be many reasons that led to you missing your flight. You could spend your time thinking about how you wish you made the flight, or go over your day to examine all the things that happened that led to you missing your flight. That is a lot of energy and thinking about wishing and wanting the situation to be different.
Now imagine this situation. You miss your flight. And yes you may experience some feelings of disappointment or anger. Acceptance is not denying those feelings but seeing that as they are. “I missed my flight and I feel ______”. In this scenario you are accepting you missed the flight and whatever feelings you have. Now what?
By accepting what is now frees your mind to focus on other things - like the present moment. Taking time to observe more in the airport or other activities like reading your book. You do not have to like missing your flight but accepting what it gives you freedom for experiencing the “Now” rather than “I wish it was different”.
Acceptance & Healing
Acceptance can be a powerful tool for dealing with difficult emotions or pain. Acceptance of a situation may not come right away. It is often a difficult process of feeling different emotions. Allowing ourselves to have these emotions is a natural part of the healing process. Allowing ourselves to have these emotions is also accepting our emotions in the moment.
It is when we can recognize the actuality of things, then we can apply wisdom to a situation. Letting go of how we want things to be gives us freedom to be open to wisdom. This wisdom in turn can shift our perspective and overall well-being.
Next week we explore 3 ways to practice acceptance.
Photo Credit: Laura Chouette