Acceptance

“I follow four dictates: face it, accept it, deal with it, then let it go.” ~Sheng Yen

I try to follow the dictates above as I find this process helps me work through the many challenges in my life.  The one I struggle with the most is “Acceptance.”

When I cannot accept myself or the problem that is challenging me, then the next steps of dealing with it and letting it go can not happen.

Accepting and not interfering with the natural essence of nature, you will find it heals itself.  It’s the same with us. When we allow ourself to be, to accept this moment or challenge no matter how hard it seems, we can begin to heal.

We all seem to be happy to identify our thoughts and what the problem is, but rarely do we want to identify or accept what the event reveals about us.  Whenever I was confronted with a challenge in my life, I began to notice that feelings of frustration and anger came to the surface and I wanted to give up immediately.

These are the feelings that we need to face and acknowledge in ourselves because these are what are limiting us from moving forward and discovering our true potential.

When I started to see a pattern, I began to question why I wanted to give up when I felt challenged.  I realised it was fear.  Fear of being vulnerable and exposed and fear of not being good enough.  It takes time to understand ourselves and sometimes we need guidance from others too, so be patient.

Once I accepted this and started to work at changing the limiting beliefs I had about myself, I was able to move forward and change.

Resisting the pain and not facing who we are in the pain, only prolongs our healing.

Become aware of the feelings that surface when life challenges you, because when you identify these patterns and face them, you can begin to practice letting them go.

We all have parts of ourself that we don’t like or don’t want to see and yet, facing those parts of self through meditation, counselling and stillness, you will begin to understand how to work with them rather than against them.

“The greatest challenge in your life is discovering who you are, the second greatest is accepting what you find.” – author unknown