Mindful Moment #07 - Attitude of Acceptance

Welcoming an Attitude of Acceptance

One of the primary tenets of living more mindfully is adopting an attitude of acceptance. Sure, there’s any possible number of trials to face and challenges to navigate in life…that’s a given as part of the human condition. And most of us know “acceptance” as part of the five stages of grief, but actively choosing acceptance can assist us in moving forward into a space of healing and wholeness.

One of the most well-known mindfulness practitioners, Jon Kabat-Zinn, explains, “We often waste a lot of energy denying and resisting what is already a fact…Acceptance as we are speaking of it simply means that you have come around to a willingness to see things as they are.” If we can recognize what is actually happening around us, it allows us to understand the first step toward something healthier than stewing in denial or following a gut-level, knee-jerk response. Think of it as choosing to put on glasses when everything seems blurry.

My personal resistance to acceptance is feeling like I’ve given up and given in to the thing that is happening. But adopting an attitude of acceptance doesn’t mean accepting powerlessness over something that is unacceptable. Quite the contrary. When you can see clearly what you are dealing with, then you can adjust your approach to amending the situation, whatever it may be. That crack in the windshield isn’t going to un-crack. The yard isn’t going to weed itself. The social injustice isn’t going to suddenly become just. That problematic relationship will take work of some sort to resolve.

It is also not as easy as just “getting over” something that inspires denial in the first place. It’s a process.

When it’s time to welcome an attitude of acceptance, may I suggest something that is literally contrary to the concept itself. Pretend, just for a moment, that all of the noise and discord outside of yourself and beyond your control doesn’t matter. Catch your breath for a minute and take the stress level down a notch. Give your body a place to ponder, taking a pause for peace.

Try this exercise to foster your attitude of acceptance:

Sit down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Drop your shoulders. Breathe.

Envision yourself walking down a path in your favorite landscape in your favorite weather. Feel the breeze on your skin, the earth under your feet, and see the path leading you farther into nature. Imagine arriving at the edge of a still pond. On the surface of the water, what is reflected is the thing that you need to accept. Take some time to really look at that reflection. Don’t let your fears or assumptions creep in. Just acknowledge the facts. When it gets to the “hard” part, allow yourself to react (in your vision), how you’d like to. Scream, cry, laugh, throw fists full of stones into the water, say that speech you’ve practiced in the mirror a dozen times, stomp into the water with a vengeance and splash it into oblivion.

When you are done, look at the reflection again. It’s the same as it was before, except clearer. Take any of the pain or distress or worry you’re feeling and envision it leaving your body like steam, lifting away so that the load in your heart is lighter and the heaviness in your mind begins to melt. This steam gathers itself into a cloud that can be held in your hands like cotton candy. Take it and rip off a piece. Say, I release this energy back to the universe, and let it go. It floats into the water and disappears. Rip it up, piece by piece, until it is gone. The reflection now is also gone, and all you see is the pond.

When you are ready, turn back toward the path, and as you take the steps to return to your starting place, consider what this means now. Whatever the reality is, you are still you, and you are still on your life’s journey. As you approach the end of the path, take one last breath, and say farewell.

Before you continue on with your day, consider journaling how this exercise went
for you. Write out the important things that crossed your mind when you allowed
yourself to react, and how it felt when you let it go back to the universe. If you had
any special realization on the way back, capture that idea, too.

Hopefully you can find acceptance and that it allows you to move forward with
intent and purpose.

Namaste

-Amy

INSPIRATIONS THIS WEEK

We’re feeling inspired by these incredible and thought provoking pieces:

How to (Actually) Love Yourself, According to Experts Therapists say this might just mean acceptance.
Ketamine: A Potential Game-Changer in the Fight Against AlcoholismIt turns out this addictive drug is showing promise for treating… addiction.
Extreme heat will bring worse mental health. People shouldn’t have to cope alone. With new evidence that heat waves worsen mental health, we urgently need collective solutions.

That’s all for today, y’all – remember, taking time to focus on you is an act of love.

We hope you found this helpful – don’t hesitate to reply with any feedback on how we can improve future Mindful Moments! We can’t wait to hear from you.