Accepting what is…is one of the many important aspects of life that is much easier said than done.

For much of my life, I’ve struggled to accept certain things about myself, others, and the world around me. As someone who’s committed to change and transformation, the idea of “acceptance” has often seemed weak or passive to me in a way that’s been hard for me to reconcile.

It can be difficult, at times, to accept our reality, especially when there are things we want to change for the better. However, when we accept what is, we aren’t accepting defeat. Rather, we’re taking the first steps to making lasting and positive change.

Accepting The Power of Acceptance

There’s a famous quote by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung: “What you resist, persists.”

It seems that many of us “resist” the way things are. Whether it’s with our body, our work, our spouse, our family members, our friends, our co-workers, our money, or the even state of the world and economy, often we find ourselves arguing with reality instead of accepting what is.

Not only do we resist acceptance, we often fear it. We worry that if we accept the things we wish to change, then we won’t be motivated to follow through on that change. Ultimately, we get scared that acceptance means things won’t change.

Acceptance is not an act of resignation or agreement—rather, it’s an act of truth-telling. When we accept things the way they are, we’re able to create a real sense of peace. From there, we can let go of much of our suffering. In fact, it’s from this place of honesty that we’re able to create the kind of circumstances, relationships, and outcomes we truly want, too.

Take Action: Practice Acceptance

Here is something specific you can do to practice acceptance in a real way.

First, make a list of some of the things in your life right now that are causing you the most stress, pain, or anxiety. These things may have to do with people, work, money, health, things happening in the world, or anything else.

After you finish your list, go through each item and ask yourself if you’re willing to “accept” these things as they are right now. This doesn’t mean that you have to like them, agree with them, or even want them to be this way, of course. It simply means that you’re willing to accept them as they are right now.

With some of the things on this list, it may be fairly easy to find acceptance, and with others it may be more difficult. For the ones that are more challenging, you can talk it through with a friend, mentor, coach, or therapist. You can also journal, pray, or meditate about the things that are hard to accept.

By accepting these things as they are, you’ll find a greater ability to be at peace with them. From there, your ability to change them in a positive way will be enhanced significantly.

What can you do to accept things as they are in your life right now? How do you accept what is? Share your thoughts, challenges, ideas, and questions below in the comments.

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