What would your life look life with more acceptance?
Life is beautiful ... and challenging.
There's an unavoidable polarity in all experiences. It can be uncomfortable at times.
This week, ugh, this week has been a perfect example for me. A challenging situation arose on the personal front, and it sapped my energy and diverted my focus from my work.
That's to be expected. It's normal. It happens to everyone!
And yet, I'd catch myself thinking that I should be more productive. I fretted about this podcast post in particular.
The incredible Grisha Stewart joined me on UNLEASHED (at work & home) to talk about acceptance, about leaning in to what is, and about letting go of the struggle for perfection (or even for something different).
It's a great episode. You've got to listen!
And, even though I'm well-versed in acceptance and resilience, I still had moments of struggle. I had to remind myself that fighting against what I cannot change weakens my ability to enjoy what I have (and change what I can).
Here's the thing:
Resilience is not a merit badge. You don't achieve it.
You are already resilient. Look at what you've already overcome. Look at all the challenges you've faced. No one makes it through life without learning to bounce back.
But ... you can learn to bounce back better, quicker, faster, more easily. You can learn to shake things off and move on. You can learn to reset your emotions and find peace, contentment, and even joy in moments of struggle.
Resilience is a mindset and a skill set. It's something you practice.
It'd be great to be happy all the time, to never experience fear, anxiety, regret, loss, anger, frustration, or disappointment. Great, but not realistic.
Uncomfortable emotions are a normal, natural part of life. Every life. Even yours. (And, as I've been reminding myself this week, even mine.)
The trick is to learn to lean into what you're feeling with a measure of acceptance, peace, and calm.
When you're happy, allow yourself to really feel it. Notice what happens in your body. How does happiness show up inside you? What can you do to feel this way more often?
Similarly, develop some curiosity about the things you wish were different. What about the situation is causing you distress? How would things be different if you were able to accept the current reality without trying to change it in any way?
Simple, but not easy
The real truisms of life are often like this. There's nothing particularly profound about encouraging you to explore your feelings, to really notice what you notice, and pay attention to the stories you tell yourself about why you feel the way you feel.
But this simple strategy takes effort and commitment. It's not easy.
Fortunately, you'll get lots of ideas in this episode that will help you keep growing and developing your gift of acceptance.
Links worth clicking
- Grisha's website and her How to Human course
- The UNLEASHED Resilience Community page (This program has closed. Check the links under Work With Me in the top menu bar to explore current programs.)