Serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance.
It was 5a.m. and I climbed out of bed just as the sunlight bounced of the window illuminating the bedroom walls. Looking out my window I saw a lonely fisherman with a cast net, in the process of tossing it into the sea. I watched his body arc forward as the nets’ web spread out, creating a circle as it touched the water, disappearing underneath. Hauling the net back and up, he examined the content with a sign of disappointment. I observed silently as he attempted three more tries, before he picked up a small bucket and moved on down the beach. Coming up short, he had accepted it was time to move on.
I remember years ago when the water near the shores was teaming with sardines, but now it’s harder to find them. There is a time and season for everything. Nature does what it needs although we at times feel we have some measure of control. Unlike the rest of nature we are not always accepting what we are given. Many times our expectancy can bring frustration and disappointment, but when we learn to accept situations we can begin to see clearly and create new possibilities.
Acceptance is not a weakness nor is it complacent, but it is the beginning of looking at the truth of a situation before effective change. As we slide into low season, acceptance can help us bring new aspects into our lives if we choose to look differently at our circumstances. How can we be in a state of acceptance when things are not the way we would like them?
The first step is to realize and accept responsibility for your situation. Even when things are outside you control, realizing just that is taking responsibility. Secondly is to focus on the possibilities for the future and resist the negative thoughts of the past. And third, develop a willingness to try a new way and take action towards it.
Everyday each one of us cast a net in an attempt to get what we desire out of life. Keeping the same unyielding thoughts and actions is like casting your net into the same water over and over again. Just like the fisherman we sometimes need to accept, pick up our bucket of situations and move on. Below are some ways to help you develop and use the power of acceptance to expand your horizons:
Take Responsibility
There is an old saying that the first step to recovery is acknowledgment. Write down your thoughts and assess how you came to this situation is your acknowledgment. Don’t be discouraged, because this is the first step to learning to accept things and remove the judgment.
Focus on the Possibilities
We often spend our time focused on our past regrets and fill ourselves with guilt for what happened. But that only keeps you reliving the past. Put your mind to what you desire and keep it in your daily thoughts.
Develop a True Desire
You must develop the willingness to change the thoughts, emotions, actions, or beliefs that have created and caused these conditions to exist. It is necessary to eliminate your “resistance to change” and establish a sense of self acceptance and allow yourself to begin accepting change as a necessary process to facilitate your growth.
Evolve
By developing the understanding that ALL things that happen in your life work together for good, and are necessary for your growth, regardless of what they appear to be based on your current perception, you are using the power of acceptance, which in turn neutralizes the negative thoughts that can stop you from evolving.
Practice Gratitude
By developing an attitude of gratitude in ALL of your life situations, regardless of what those situations bring or what you perceive them to be at the time, will literally, almost magically, and with absolute certainty transform your circumstances, and allow them to dissipate.
