about acceptance
My struggle for years was to accept life on life's terms and accept that I always am exactly where I need to be. Today, I live in acceptance that everything in my life is perfect as it is today.
Sure, things change, so my life changes over time. I accept that, and find that the changes give me the chance to continue practicing acceptance of life on life's terms. As long as I stay in today, in the now, I'm serene. I much prefer serenity to the chaos and drama that characterized my life before finding a spiritual solution!
I think I came to acceptance as the solution because it was the only way left to me. After being in recovery for a few years, I grew to understand that other people were beyond my control and so too was the external world. The only control I have is over my response to people and situations. I don't even have control over my emotions - all I can do is decide how I'm going to express them. And I have control over my attitude toward life in general.
After so much frustration and anger and disappointment, I was forced into turning my life and my will over to the care of my Higher Power, and then into praying for God to remove the defects of character that set me up for the frustration, anger and disappointment.
I always envision "turning over my life and will to God" as allowing myself to be cradled in the loving arms of my God (the one I understand, not anyone else's). This gives me an amazing sense of relief - I am not alone, nor do I ever have to be alone again, carrying the weight of the world on my back and shoulders. I start to breathe freely, and to risk doing things differently - because I know I'm OK and always will be OK from now on. I'm on my right path after doing this, and no harm can come to me ever again. Even pain will be a blessing and a teacher, something I can use in my journey to grow and help others.
Asking God to remove my defects of character is where I throw up my hands, tossing my pain, cares, worries and feelings of inadequacy and soul-sickness into the air and say "OK, God, it's all yours! I can't handle it anymore, so I'm giving it over to you." Somehow, that total surrender brings about a miraculous alchemy. I find myself responding, not reacting. I find myself accepting instead of fighting against. I find myself serene instead of depressed or angry.
Acceptance of the God of my understanding is key to my acceptance of myself as I am now, of life as it is right now, of people as they are now. Acceptance doesn't mean tolerating abuse or discontent or unfulfilling situations. It simply means that I accept that this is how it is right now. And from that acceptance, I am able to take action, make a change, trust my gut and intuition, and take the next right step toward my being of most use to God and my fellow human beings. I'm on a path, after all, so will always be moving.
Sure, things change, so my life changes over time. I accept that, and find that the changes give me the chance to continue practicing acceptance of life on life's terms. As long as I stay in today, in the now, I'm serene. I much prefer serenity to the chaos and drama that characterized my life before finding a spiritual solution!
I think I came to acceptance as the solution because it was the only way left to me. After being in recovery for a few years, I grew to understand that other people were beyond my control and so too was the external world. The only control I have is over my response to people and situations. I don't even have control over my emotions - all I can do is decide how I'm going to express them. And I have control over my attitude toward life in general.
After so much frustration and anger and disappointment, I was forced into turning my life and my will over to the care of my Higher Power, and then into praying for God to remove the defects of character that set me up for the frustration, anger and disappointment.
I always envision "turning over my life and will to God" as allowing myself to be cradled in the loving arms of my God (the one I understand, not anyone else's). This gives me an amazing sense of relief - I am not alone, nor do I ever have to be alone again, carrying the weight of the world on my back and shoulders. I start to breathe freely, and to risk doing things differently - because I know I'm OK and always will be OK from now on. I'm on my right path after doing this, and no harm can come to me ever again. Even pain will be a blessing and a teacher, something I can use in my journey to grow and help others.
Asking God to remove my defects of character is where I throw up my hands, tossing my pain, cares, worries and feelings of inadequacy and soul-sickness into the air and say "OK, God, it's all yours! I can't handle it anymore, so I'm giving it over to you." Somehow, that total surrender brings about a miraculous alchemy. I find myself responding, not reacting. I find myself accepting instead of fighting against. I find myself serene instead of depressed or angry.
Acceptance of the God of my understanding is key to my acceptance of myself as I am now, of life as it is right now, of people as they are now. Acceptance doesn't mean tolerating abuse or discontent or unfulfilling situations. It simply means that I accept that this is how it is right now. And from that acceptance, I am able to take action, make a change, trust my gut and intuition, and take the next right step toward my being of most use to God and my fellow human beings. I'm on a path, after all, so will always be moving.
posted by julieannerickson at 11:47 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home