The alchemy of acceptance.
Emptiness can be a vacuum,
Cold and hostile,
Dark with danger.
Or emptiness can be radiant space,
Glowing with soft stillness.
And the only difference between them is acceptance.
A task may seem tedious,
A chore to rush through reluctantly.
Or a task may seem rewarding,
A process to relish with an attentive mind that reveals more richness the more present you become.
And the only difference between them is acceptance.
Pain may seem unbearable,
Searing through you from a sharp,
Concentrated point,
So that you have no choice but to resist,
To try to escape,
To push away the pain.
Or pain can be a sensation which you can move towards and merge with,
Which no longer has a centre and dissipates and spreads through your being,
Until it becomes soft and numb,
No longer pain at all.
And the only difference between them is acceptance.
Trauma can break you down to nothing,
Destroy the identity you spent your whole life building up,
Like an earthquake that leaves you in ruins.
Or trauma can transform you,
Break open new depths and heights of you,
Give rise to a greater structure and miraculous new self.
And the only difference between them is acceptance.
Life can be frustrating and full of obstacles,
With desires for a different life constantly disturbing your mind.
Or life can be fulfilling,
Full of opportunities,
With a constant flow of gratitude for the gifts you have.
And the only difference between them is acceptance.
