Acceptance is necessary for coming to terms with that which we have no control over or cannot change. Life is not always fair. Things happen. Situations don’t always work out the way we want them to. It does not mean being complacent or denying what is. It means to be willing to see things as they are.
We do not deny that unfortunate circumstances exist and that life doesn’t always go our way; nor do we fall apart in helplessness and give up.
Admittedly the first reaction to extreme difficulty or tragedy is often the desire to fall apart and give up. Even denial seems to be a better option than having to face calamity. However, after we get over the initial blow and shock to the system we have to make a decision. Do we let the event incapacitate us, or do we accept what we cannot change and make the best of the situation? There is no question that acceptance doesn’t come easily. It might even be necessary to take time to process what has happened, put in perspective or just contemplate it for a while. Talking to empathetic friends or getting counseling is also beneficial, but at some point we have to come to terms with a situation and accept it.Choose not to judge what happens to you. Instead, believe that everything happens for a reason and that better things will always follow. That’s the beginning of true acceptance. Somewhere recently I read that the important thing is not to understand why something happened. Our understanding can wait, but our obedience cannot. I translate this to mean that when something unpredictable happens, instead of complaining and over-thinking it, we need to choose to live with it. I know it’s hard to practice acceptance when you deeply wish things were different. But the truth is, sometimes we can’t change our reality, even if we try. So instead of staring at the closed door in front of us, or getting tired and bruised while we try to break it down, let’s turn around and see how many other windows we have open.
