This week in coping skills class we learned about radical acceptance.
One of my favorite ways of remembering acceptance is this: I only have to wholeheartedly accept the past and the moment I am living in.
Acceptance is the true difference between pain and suffering. Although acceptance is painful, refusing to accept reality causes suffering in your life.
It’s important to remember that accepting your reality does not mean approving of something, it just means you are accepting your situation just the way it is, even if you desire it to be different.
We did a post recently about willing hands. The willing hands tool is a great tool to help accept reality. Half smile is another good tool to keep in mind when struggling to accept something. We must intentionally turn our minds toward acceptance.
Acceptance requires letting go of the way we want our life to go. It means allowing for reality instead of holding on to fantasy. It is reminding ourselves that we are able to have something we don’t want, and it is not a catastrophe. Seeing reality in its true form is our only choice. Refusing to accept does not change anything for us.
I challenge you to focus on times you push away acceptance and try using your willing hands to accept reality just the way it is in this moment.
Have a good week.
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