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The Power of Acceptance

Posted By: Randy GageJuly 12, 2011

One of the hardest lessons I ever had to learn was acceptance.  And I still work on it.  Because there’s a big difference between accepting things as they are without judgment – and challenging myself to greater things.  It’s quite a balancing act.

You have to understand that whatever is happening in this moment is meant to happen.  It’s the culmination of all the moments leading up to this one.  And when you struggle against the moment, you are actually struggling against universal order.

When you practice acceptance you accept people, circumstances and events as they are, knowing that they are exactly as they are meant to be in that moment.  You’re accepting them as they are, not how you want them to be.

By accepting the moment as it is, you are actually taking responsibility for your role in creating it.  That is where the breakthroughs are, because it allows you to then transform it to something better in the future.

So this means you don’t accept circumstances as permanent.  Simply accept them in the moment, and use the lessons from them to create a better future.

Every challenge, problem or obstacle allows you the opportunity for something greater.  But if you fight the moment or seek to place blame, you stay mired in the negative situation.  When you simply accept it and vision a better outcome for the future, you’re one step closer to making it reality.

Ain’t it great!

-RG

31 comments on “The Power of Acceptance”

  1. This is such a powerful lesson, Randy!

    Accepting what is actually opens the full range of possibilities for what can be.

    Denying what is traps us in a struggle with our own judgements and emotions which blind us to what is actually out there.

    I guess that's why sometimes we look back at situations and laugh at ourselves, saying, what was I doing?

    Cheers!

    kh

  2. Hi Randy,

    thanks for sharing your insights about acceptance. I think it's often mistaken as compromising with unfavourable circumstances, is it not ? Nothing could be farther from the truth because it's simply about being in the present moment and releasing resentments about the past and worries about the future. To be completely honest, it's also a hard lesson for me.

    Take care

    Oliver

  3. Hi, Randy!
    Your message just in time - just now I found myself in the situation: either to fight or to accept what happened. Outraged that had happened, and then evaluated the moments that led to this and realized that he did all that it has here.
    I felt better.
    Thank you!

  4. How much better acceptance is than tolerance.

    Acceptance is about recognising the value in diversity, without rejection.

    Tolerance is about resignation to the status quo.

    Acceptance is active and broadens and opens ones mind to the newness inherent in life. Acceptance says: "I will because I want to!"

    Tolerance shuts the door and says: "I will only because I have to."

    Thanks and blessings Oh most Gaged one.

  5. Randy,

    This is the stuff from Bhagwadgita. Fantastic! As a Hindu I have been hearing this all my childhood.

    You brought it home!

    This post should be printed, laminated, and framed in glass. Stuff of gold!

    Thanks Randy,
    Hersh Bhardwaj

  6. acceptance shows up in many ways... maybe noticing how we are feeling lets us know when we are not in acceptance.

    if we are angry, hurt, frustrated, etc... these feelings may be letting us know we are not accepting reality.

    for example, being upset at someone for not taking our advice and doing what we want them to do...

    or not forgiving someone because we are holding on to how we wanted it to be....not accepting the past

    or being angry at the outcome of a trial because it isn't what we want...

    or angry at politicians on tv...etc

    we give our power away...these emotions affect our health, people around us, and what we are attracting.

    maybe notice our emotions, what they are telling us... and choosing acceptance, peace, love, etc

  7. Reminded me of the Serenity prayer.

    Accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

    Thanks Randy.

    Al

  8. Interesting message, Randy, especially in view of the whingey post yesterday about someone not responding to emails in a timely fashion! LOL! We are all Works-in-Progress, including Randy. That's worth celebrating!!

  9. Hey Randy, I really like this, and am trying to wrap my mind around the concept, but was wondering if you might give an actual example of a problem/challenge/obstacle in your life, how you could view it with acceptance, and then move towards creating better future through differnt choices. Thanks!!
    -Sean

  10. This was a lesson in life I had to work on, it took me a while, but I got the message that what you resist, persist!

    Letting go is often difficult for many of us the ego needs to control and judge, I can't tell you how liberating it is once you've moved past it. 🙂

    Thank You

  11. This is consistent with what His Holiness, the Dalai Lama says, "Accept and Surrender". Once we accept the moment and surrender to it, it opens the door the Universal flow. The other profound statement from "Conversations with God" is , 'what you resist, persists'.

    I have found that accepting rather than resisting is far more beneficial, though often we are resisting things and aren't even aware. As we achieve a higher level of enlightenment we find ourselves more accepting and rarely if ever resisting. This is what I aspire towards, among other things.

    Thanks Randy.

  12. This message is so timely for me. 🙂 It was just the other day that you posted something on the blog here and in my mind I thought ...

    Yep, when things don't pan out exactly the way you want, it's time for one part 'acceptance' and three parts 'get busy'! (My secret formula!)

    I think, like you said, it's a balancing act. You can't improve upon what you won't embrace, but if you surrender to perceived limitations you'll never reach the stars.

    I try my best to use every 'plateau' as a springboard for something greater than I had originally imagined. It's not always easy. I may or may not have been known to throw a small temper tantrum (in the privacy of my own dressing room!) before resuming my graceful composure and kicking it back into high gear! 😉 ... But I do believe that's all a necessary component of growth.

    Phooey! 😉

    When the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy, punch a higher floor ... ~ Prince

    K

  13. When we finally develop to a place of non judgement and forgiveness, which for me took me kicking and screaming for a while. Once you surrender to the understanding that it is not our job to save the world, it's our job to save ourselves and in doing so, save others. Don't want to get too heavy here but we are where we are, as long as we are, until we realize that love is the only way out, not only for us but for anyone who gets to that place of understanding. Nothing ever looks the same or affects us the same after that.

  14. Hi RG,

    Acceptance is total non-resistance.

    My fave mantra over the past 3 days, just started using it, like...all the time.

    "I surrender."

    I say it with a smile on my face. I say it and release the tension in my body. I stop each hour and repeat it multiple times.

    Surrender does not mean giving it. It does mean complete non-resistance in the face of any circumstance. The thoughts and feelings which feel agitating. The person who seems to be a thorn in your side. Anything, or thought, or feeling, or person you want to fight against, surrender, and accept the moment fully.

    Accepting everything Now releases you from the moment. It dissolves any form of attachment to the moment, which opens you up to everything.

    A chief reason why people block so much good stuff from coming into their life is they hold on to too much stuff. They rejected, rejected, rejected, instead of having accepted, accepted, accepted, and are still full of negative energy from fighting, which blocks the flow of well-being.

    Thanks for sharing your insight Randy.

    Ryan

  15. What a great article Randy. I was just discussing acceptance with my Mom driving home from the casino. She refuses to accept the wives that my brothers have married.

    She kept stating that she is not judging them but that is exactly what she is doing. They are not worthy of her blessing. My brothers did not marry women that my Mom approves of.

    I will have to give her this article but it's really hard when your parents get older.

  16. I like this post.

    I have discovered that my experiences (good/bad or neutral) is my only reality.

    It is alright to feel it all. Integrate, process it and then choose to do what you want with it.

    Challenges must never stop us from living to the fullest. They teach us to be more of who we are.

  17. Hey Randy Good for you! Acceptance is so important. The more we Accept ourselves and all our dark and light parts, the more we accept others. 🙂

  18. Accepting and not struggling in a moment where things are really ugly and really in your face requires a huge amount of prior introspection. I notice that I struggle to accept things in areas of my life where things are not going quite to plan even though my life has been going positively uphill over the past couple of years. When I make the effort (if that's even the right word!) to accept the situation, there's so much less angst. Emotionally it's so much easier to deal with.

  19. Hi Randy

    Just found your blog for the first time, and it's blown me away. Acceptance is a massive thing, and as much as I read, and know what I SHOULD do, I still struggle. I guess it is a process over time, just wish I could get there quicker. Maybe I just need to accept the present and enjoy the journey. All the best

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  • 31 comments on “The Power of Acceptance”

    1. This is such a powerful lesson, Randy!

      Accepting what is actually opens the full range of possibilities for what can be.

      Denying what is traps us in a struggle with our own judgements and emotions which blind us to what is actually out there.

      I guess that's why sometimes we look back at situations and laugh at ourselves, saying, what was I doing?

      Cheers!

      kh

    2. Hi Randy,

      thanks for sharing your insights about acceptance. I think it's often mistaken as compromising with unfavourable circumstances, is it not ? Nothing could be farther from the truth because it's simply about being in the present moment and releasing resentments about the past and worries about the future. To be completely honest, it's also a hard lesson for me.

      Take care

      Oliver

    3. Hi, Randy!
      Your message just in time - just now I found myself in the situation: either to fight or to accept what happened. Outraged that had happened, and then evaluated the moments that led to this and realized that he did all that it has here.
      I felt better.
      Thank you!

    4. How much better acceptance is than tolerance.

      Acceptance is about recognising the value in diversity, without rejection.

      Tolerance is about resignation to the status quo.

      Acceptance is active and broadens and opens ones mind to the newness inherent in life. Acceptance says: "I will because I want to!"

      Tolerance shuts the door and says: "I will only because I have to."

      Thanks and blessings Oh most Gaged one.

    5. Randy,

      This is the stuff from Bhagwadgita. Fantastic! As a Hindu I have been hearing this all my childhood.

      You brought it home!

      This post should be printed, laminated, and framed in glass. Stuff of gold!

      Thanks Randy,
      Hersh Bhardwaj

    6. acceptance shows up in many ways... maybe noticing how we are feeling lets us know when we are not in acceptance.

      if we are angry, hurt, frustrated, etc... these feelings may be letting us know we are not accepting reality.

      for example, being upset at someone for not taking our advice and doing what we want them to do...

      or not forgiving someone because we are holding on to how we wanted it to be....not accepting the past

      or being angry at the outcome of a trial because it isn't what we want...

      or angry at politicians on tv...etc

      we give our power away...these emotions affect our health, people around us, and what we are attracting.

      maybe notice our emotions, what they are telling us... and choosing acceptance, peace, love, etc

    7. Reminded me of the Serenity prayer.

      Accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

      Thanks Randy.

      Al

    8. Interesting message, Randy, especially in view of the whingey post yesterday about someone not responding to emails in a timely fashion! LOL! We are all Works-in-Progress, including Randy. That's worth celebrating!!

    9. Hey Randy, I really like this, and am trying to wrap my mind around the concept, but was wondering if you might give an actual example of a problem/challenge/obstacle in your life, how you could view it with acceptance, and then move towards creating better future through differnt choices. Thanks!!
      -Sean

    10. This was a lesson in life I had to work on, it took me a while, but I got the message that what you resist, persist!

      Letting go is often difficult for many of us the ego needs to control and judge, I can't tell you how liberating it is once you've moved past it. 🙂

      Thank You

    11. This is consistent with what His Holiness, the Dalai Lama says, "Accept and Surrender". Once we accept the moment and surrender to it, it opens the door the Universal flow. The other profound statement from "Conversations with God" is , 'what you resist, persists'.

      I have found that accepting rather than resisting is far more beneficial, though often we are resisting things and aren't even aware. As we achieve a higher level of enlightenment we find ourselves more accepting and rarely if ever resisting. This is what I aspire towards, among other things.

      Thanks Randy.

    12. This message is so timely for me. 🙂 It was just the other day that you posted something on the blog here and in my mind I thought ...

      Yep, when things don't pan out exactly the way you want, it's time for one part 'acceptance' and three parts 'get busy'! (My secret formula!)

      I think, like you said, it's a balancing act. You can't improve upon what you won't embrace, but if you surrender to perceived limitations you'll never reach the stars.

      I try my best to use every 'plateau' as a springboard for something greater than I had originally imagined. It's not always easy. I may or may not have been known to throw a small temper tantrum (in the privacy of my own dressing room!) before resuming my graceful composure and kicking it back into high gear! 😉 ... But I do believe that's all a necessary component of growth.

      Phooey! 😉

      When the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy, punch a higher floor ... ~ Prince

      K

    13. When we finally develop to a place of non judgement and forgiveness, which for me took me kicking and screaming for a while. Once you surrender to the understanding that it is not our job to save the world, it's our job to save ourselves and in doing so, save others. Don't want to get too heavy here but we are where we are, as long as we are, until we realize that love is the only way out, not only for us but for anyone who gets to that place of understanding. Nothing ever looks the same or affects us the same after that.

    14. Hi RG,

      Acceptance is total non-resistance.

      My fave mantra over the past 3 days, just started using it, like...all the time.

      "I surrender."

      I say it with a smile on my face. I say it and release the tension in my body. I stop each hour and repeat it multiple times.

      Surrender does not mean giving it. It does mean complete non-resistance in the face of any circumstance. The thoughts and feelings which feel agitating. The person who seems to be a thorn in your side. Anything, or thought, or feeling, or person you want to fight against, surrender, and accept the moment fully.

      Accepting everything Now releases you from the moment. It dissolves any form of attachment to the moment, which opens you up to everything.

      A chief reason why people block so much good stuff from coming into their life is they hold on to too much stuff. They rejected, rejected, rejected, instead of having accepted, accepted, accepted, and are still full of negative energy from fighting, which blocks the flow of well-being.

      Thanks for sharing your insight Randy.

      Ryan

    15. What a great article Randy. I was just discussing acceptance with my Mom driving home from the casino. She refuses to accept the wives that my brothers have married.

      She kept stating that she is not judging them but that is exactly what she is doing. They are not worthy of her blessing. My brothers did not marry women that my Mom approves of.

      I will have to give her this article but it's really hard when your parents get older.

    16. I like this post.

      I have discovered that my experiences (good/bad or neutral) is my only reality.

      It is alright to feel it all. Integrate, process it and then choose to do what you want with it.

      Challenges must never stop us from living to the fullest. They teach us to be more of who we are.

    17. Hey Randy Good for you! Acceptance is so important. The more we Accept ourselves and all our dark and light parts, the more we accept others. 🙂

    18. Accepting and not struggling in a moment where things are really ugly and really in your face requires a huge amount of prior introspection. I notice that I struggle to accept things in areas of my life where things are not going quite to plan even though my life has been going positively uphill over the past couple of years. When I make the effort (if that's even the right word!) to accept the situation, there's so much less angst. Emotionally it's so much easier to deal with.

    19. Hi Randy

      Just found your blog for the first time, and it's blown me away. Acceptance is a massive thing, and as much as I read, and know what I SHOULD do, I still struggle. I guess it is a process over time, just wish I could get there quicker. Maybe I just need to accept the present and enjoy the journey. All the best

    Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

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