Day 53: Acceptance

Life brings different situations and different people in front of us. Some are favourable to our stream of thoughts while some are not. People come and go, also situations too does not last for long time, but sometimes we are hooked to our perceptions, thoughts and decisions. We do not want to change. In these cases, we are often advised to accept the situations and wait for the good days. It is indeed difficult. We are in an unfavourable situation and on top of that we have to wait/work to make it favourable. Not easy! and we are so reluctant and disheartened to accept things as they are.

I believe, this acceptance is such a big part of life, be it situations or people. The only control we have is over ourselves, over our thoughts and actions. External factors are rarely under our control or rarely remain controlled. In such situations, patience and stability of mind brings acceptance of the situation. I have learnt it from my past experiences, acceptance is not momentarily, it should be forever. For example, if I do not like somebody's behaviour, I have to accept this fact not only today and tomorrow but may be for weeks/months/years to come. If I accept it today and not tomorrow, I am again in the same situation the very next day. I lose my peace of mind, rationality and dignity. All this because I didn't made acceptance the integral part of my life with respect to a situation or person.

One more thing I have learnt, acceptance is without anger. It is always absorbed with patience, maturity and courage. It is not the quality of the weak. It is only the strong who are strong enough to accept something in real meaning. I always become happy when I re-live this lesson in my life and often accept the situations/people as they are. But I doubt, many people will argue this as a weakness and running away from battling with the situations or people. I have an answer to them, NO! Acceptance is not blind, it is a mature decision, a mature thought and a mature action. It is not taken in anger, it is full of patience. It is hard work to accept something/somebody as they are. It is never easy to accept but it is always easy not to accept. Therefore, acceptance, in real terms, for me is never escapism, it is hard work whose fruits are my peace of mind and joy from things/persons who can make it otherwise.