Here are a couple of quotes on Acceptance followed by my thoughts on the subject
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. (by Reinhold Niebhur)
“Acceptance doesn’t mean endorsement or saying that things are good. It means accepting bad reality and accepting that limited change is likely in the world right now.” (by Albert Ellis)
So, what does that really mean for us?… If we start by accepting that all people have their own set of agendas, attitudes, beliefs, choices and perceptions. Accept that things will never be totally perfect, there will always be “hurdles to jump over” and sometimes people will disappoint us.
Whilst the act of accepting and adapting certainly lowers stress for most scenarios, there are times when it requires a different perspective and action. For example – physical abuse, verbal abuse, bullying, tragic events, etc. In those types of scenarios, the only accepting part is that it occurred and it can’t be un-done. There could be a calling for assertiveness, and/or a need for assistance in order to remedy the incident, but what happened does not need to be held onto.
When we accept that life is forever bringing new challenges for us to adapt to, (even if it is temporary), then this acceptance allows the event (and your stress level) to be managed easier. Remember there is a difference between adapting to something and adopting it as if it’s ok.
Accept that “perfection” doesn’t actually exist and you cannot please everybody all the time (including yourself).
Accept that you are responsible for your own mind and body health and your self-care is a high priority – how can you effectively take care of others if you are depleted?
To learn more about taking care of yourself – click here