Acceptance

I am reading a great book, “Mindfulness, a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world” by M. Williams and D. Penman.

At a point, the authors reach the concept of acceptance. Acceptance is not detachment, not ‘giving up’, not resignation, no. The root of the word – same as for ‘capture’ and ‘perception’ means to receive or take hold of something; so also means to grasp or understand.

Acceptance is a pause, a period of allowing, of letting be.

Accepting allows us to be fully aware of difficulties, with all its painful nuances.

Acceptance gives us more time to respond. Often, the wisest way of responding is to do nothing at all.

I would add to this recipe, which I am sure comes sometime in the book, to accept what is there with no judgement, not trying to understand with your brain. That is a first step. And acceptance does not mean doing nothing. It is a phase before. Assessing facts is one side, you need to assess your feelings as well.

If change is what you want, then it is time to clarify your chosen goal and plan actions via stepping stones. Rush is what life throws at us all day. It is destroying the sleep of so many people.

How many friends or colleagues do you know who cannot sleep properly? 

Stress and anxiety is often in the equation.

If you are in a state of stress and anxiety, your brain releases chemicals that block your thinking process. The more you focus on doing, the more the whole situation will stay blocked.

You need to loosen thoughts, feelings, behaviours and actions to allow a shift to happen. It is a process you can learn to achieve.