Hello once again beautiful souls! It's been a while hasn't it?! I missed you :) I've been looking forward to meeting you again to share all the awesome lessons I've learned as I journey through life!! So here goes:
Life Lesson 24 - Acceptance
Acceptance is something we may struggle with at various times in our lives when we have little or no control over situations and people. Here are some points to reflect upon in this regard:
Impermanence
Nothing in this world is permanent. Everything happens in cycles. The seasons change and yet there is splendour in each one.
The world is in a constant state of flux. Things change... it's a given. To expect that things are permanent or unchanging is to deny a basic reality of life upon earth. The first step toward acceptance is to acknowledge impermanence and accept it as an inevitable part of life.
The Human Condition
We are all human, we are born as infants in an imperfect world, we grow and face many joys, sorrows and life lessons. This is the human condition and none of us can escape it. It is consoling to know that by virtue of being human, we cannot avoid any of the hardships that come with being human, being fallible and being mortal. We all share in the joys and sufferings of life; none of us are immune to them. This knowing consoles us twofold: first is that we can grow to accept that our humanness brings with it a set of inevitable life experiences; and second, that because of this, we can connect with others in that space where we share the same experiences - happiness, loneliness, failure, illness, fear, success, birth, death, love and loss. It is best to flow through life resisting nothing.
Remember, when the strong wind comes, those trees that do not bend and sway will break.
Detachment
There's a story from Thailand which I'd like to share with you that highlights this point:
“You see this glass?” asks the Thai meditation master. “For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”
When we appreciate what we have knowing already that it will not last forever, we are detached from it, we appreciate every moment we have it; and when it will end, we are not devastated because we knew that it was “already broken”.
Positive Reframing
Whenever an upsetting event happens in our lives, we can stand back and try to find what is positive about the situation. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this to grow and become a better person?”
Gratitude
Being a thankful person changes everything about life. If you can, at any moment, look around you and see something to be thankful for, you are in a better position to accept the situations you cannot change or control.
Acceptance is ultimately about changing the way you think.
We cannot change others.
We cannot control the inevitable.
We can control our thinking, our attitude and our behaviour.
And this is what makes all the difference.
Until next time xx
Blessings from Ella