The Freedom To Be Found In Acceptance

One day, there will be no choice other than acceptance. When it comes to our final breath, the control will certainly be out of our hands and our power will be given over to forces greater than us. The best chance we’ll have of easing our suffering in that moment, will be to lay our fighting spirit to rest and accept the ebb of life as we know it.  

Considering this thought, it can be applied to our everyday experience of life. Have you ever noticed how several people will be in the same situation, yet the way each person perceives and responds to the situation will vary vastly? For example, when in a rush hour traffic jam, certain drivers will be beeping their horns relentlessly, furious at the standstill; others will get out of their vehicle to see what’s up ahead and try to ‘work out’ the situation; and other yet will remain seated in their vehicle, turning their attention to the radio, music, a conversation or something else entirely. The responses to the single traffic jam can differ greatly; differences which do not remain isolated to the traffic jam. 

Following this experience, every driver will leave the scene in a different state, depending on their reaction during, and how quickly they regulate afterwards. If one is on the more extreme end, feeling frustration and anger, their nervous system would be affected and a potential negative thought cycle would be entered, causing a disruption to the rest of the day due to the individual’s disposition. On the other end, for those that remained calm and did not allow the situation to affect them negatively, they would continue from a neutral set-point and not allow the less-desirable circumstances impinge on the next part of their day.  

Ostensibly, acceptance as a concept can be applied to the little, large and in-between stories of our lives. What makes acceptance so remarkable as a tool for wellness, is that we can take any moment we are in, especially we are feeling overwhelmed, and see where there is room for some acceptance. When we are so at odds with the situation that it causes us to lose all rationale, these are the times when we desperately need clarity in order to move forward, and acceptance can be the pathway to this clarity. It’s not that emotions are wrong, they are actually our guidance system; it’s more that we often do not even allow ourselves to fully feel the emotions that are present in us, and so acceptance would be the first step to knowing how we feel in that moment. From here, a more informed decision can be made about how to respond, as opposed to an unconscious reaction that may be to the detriment of ourselves and our surrounding environment. 

Ideally, on reading these words, you would embody the message and go forth with greater ease and acceptance hereafter. However, as with most things, the ideal option is not the likely one. In order to manifest this acceptance, it will need to become a conscious habit that you build, and to do that, you will need to give yourself an opportunity to observe your body and mind enough to decide on acceptance. The simplest practice that you can begin implementing every day to develop this self-awareness, is meditation. Among the many benefits that meditation offers, one is that it helps you to reach the space between your consciousness and your thoughts & emotions. It’s in that space, where through the stillness, comes clarity, and through clarity comes the freedom of choice.

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Cloud-Gazing: A Love Story