Practicing acceptance nurtures a greater sense of peace, happiness, and wellbeing. Much of our suffering is created by wanting things to be other than they are. Acceptance involves acknowledging things as they are in this moment and then asking, “Now what?”
If we can truly accept how things are and allow them to just be, the answer to that question of “now what?” arrives with great clarity. However, if we fall back into wanting or hoping things will be other than they are, we get entangled in more suffering. Acceptance can lead to greater peace and happiness, as we’re not being resistant to what is happening in the present moment. This attitude and practice can help us to cultivate resilience.
For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain. –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
If we take Longfellow’s words quite literally, on a rainy day we can either be perpetually upset that the rain ruined our sunshine plans, or we can accept that it’s raining and make a plan that accommodates the reality of the rain. Practicing acceptance can bring peace and allow us to move forward to do the next right thing with clarity.
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