Ep.1/ Acceptance
Acceptance can be difficult because it challenges our desire for control. Try these simple strategies to find peace in accepting life’s flow.
The ideas of acceptance and faith are like kindred spirits, offering warmth and insight in the harshest and most challenging times of life. To increase our belief that things will improve, we need to learn how to refocus our attention to the things in our lives that we can influence. Try repeating the following mantra to yourself as a short exercise in acceptance: “Thank you (God/Creator/Universe), I accept all things that are happening in my life and trust that everything is serving a purpose.” By accepting what is, we stop resisting reality. Greater amounts of gratitude result from resistance being released. When we get out of our own way, we can relax into the present moment and find calmness within ourselves. Cultivating this inner peace reduces stress and anxiety, allowing us to live more harmoniously.
Even more significant than the external world and our environments is who we are inside. To get to the core of why we need to practice acceptance, we must observe our unique traits and personalities. You can be that introvert who comes up with reasons to stay home in solitude or that extrovert who’s life is a constant reel on social media. When you begin to accept your personality traits, you live more authentically. The harsh self-criticism transmutes into giving yourself grace. You can be empathic without being labeled soft. You can be assertive without including your ego. As you embrace your personality, you release the need for external validation. That is where the magic lies—being who you are naturally, not the version of you that people know of from their own perception.
Start with the idea that everything happens for a reason and serves our higher self. Questions you can ask yourself to know how a situation or series of events serves you include — “How am I affected by the circumstances and why do I feel this way?” By building resilience, we develop the strength to navigate life’s highs and lows. As we practice acceptance, we enhance our self-awareness, open our hearts to compassion, release expectations, and live gracefully regardless of any imperfections and uncertainties that we encounter.
- Lamis Derar ©
