Good morning,
Welcome to this mindful morning moment.
My name is Ali Nicole and I am honored to be here with you in this space where we will explore the act of acceptance.
Acceptance is a powerful practice that allows us to acknowledge the reality of our situations without becoming fixated on the need to change them.
Throughout our lives,
We often encounter situations that we wish were different,
Whether it's a challenging relationship you might have in your life,
A career setback,
Or maybe just an unexpected change of plans.
With acceptance,
We are looking at the part of these situations that are outside of our control.
I want you to think about this in the context of your life.
Are there things you are desperate to change,
But actually,
They are not within your control?
If this is a relationship for example,
Perhaps you have been desperately hoping that a person in your life will change their ways.
Of course,
When we care about someone,
It is normal to want the absolute best for them.
However,
This can often be outside of our control.
Are you grasping onto a need for a person,
Even though this person does not actually want to change?
Are you carrying this burden around every day,
Letting it have an impact on your life and ultimately your health?
Are you carrying a burden of something that has happened in the past,
That you maybe just have not been able to accept and move forward from?
When we resist these realities and are fixated on controlling an outcome,
We create stress and tension within ourselves.
We feel this resistance to acceptance within not just our mind but also our physical body,
So much so that it can make us ill.
Our minds become consumed with thoughts of how things should be rather than how they are.
The practice of acceptance invites us to release this need for control,
This grasping,
This striving.
It is not about giving up or resigning ourselves to a life we do not want,
Rather it is about recognizing the limits of our control and finding peace with those limits.
Acceptance does not mean becoming complacent,
Nor does it mean giving in or giving up.
It is about finding a healthy relationship with the way we view the world around us.
Acceptance brings an easygoing,
Laid back energy to our bodies.
It does not grasp or strain.
Feel this relaxed energy permeate through your body.
It is an energy of kindness and self-compassion.
I want you to think about what this shift in your perspective can create in your life.
When we practice acceptance,
The world becomes brighter,
Our options become clearer,
And we open ourselves to new opportunities that maybe we just could not see before.
To practice full acceptance,
We must acknowledge that not everything in life will go according to our plans.
By being okay with this level of uncertainty,
We free ourselves from the constant mental burden of trying to shape the future to fit our exact wants and desires.
Pain and suffering are a normal part of our human experience.
Often we try to fight this thought,
Believing our lives should be free of pain and always happy.
However,
The reality is we are human.
We are humans having a human experience.
We will experience pain,
Sadness,
We will make mistakes.
If you can accept that this happens to all of us,
This common level of humanity,
It will allow you to live with less pain and suffering.
There is a Buddhist parable that speaks to this idea.
It tells a story of two arrows.
The first arrow represents the initial pain we feel,
Which is often beyond our control.
This can be a physical or emotional pain,
The death of a loved one,
The loss of a relationship,
A physical injury we have sustained.
The second arrow is the suffering we create ourselves by not accepting the initial pain.
This second arrow is born from resistance and a lack of acceptance.
It not only prolongs our suffering,
But it can make the suffering feel exponentially worse than it originally did,
Hence the act of shooting the arrow again for the second time.
By accepting our situation,
We prevent the second arrow from causing us additional pain.
Ultimately,
Acceptance is about living in the present moment,
Being fully aware of our current reality and choosing to respond to it with compassion and equanimity.
The serenity prayer beautifully encapsulates this mindset.
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.
Remember,
Acceptance is a journey,
Not a destination.
It is a practice.
It is something we must practice every day with patience and compassion for ourselves.
Before you go about your day today,
Take a moment to offer yourself warmth,
Compassion,
And acceptance for the things you have been through,
And acknowledge that you are showing up for yourself and are working on taking steps to fully finding acceptance in your life.
If you haven't already,
Please do have a listen to the accompanying mindful morning moment tracks on my profile on acceptance.
You will find a meditation and a journaling session as well.
Thank you for joining me today,
I am sending you kindness,
Compassion,
And acceptance as you welcome in the rest of your day.
