Have you ever found yourself spending way too much energy fighting a reality that is not going to change, or trying to keep control over what is ultimately beyond your control?
It is like trying to push a boulder up a hill. You pour on the effort, muscles straining, but the darn thing barely budges. That’s what it’s like to resist reality. We waste precious energy fighting situations we can’t control, trying to reverse what’s already happened, or desperately trying to micromanage the future.
It’s a recipe for frustration and, frankly, a waste of your precious inner resources.
“At any moment, whatever we are experiencing, only one of two things is ever happening: either we are being with what is, or else we are resisting what is. Being with what is, means letting ourselves have and feel our experience, just as it is right now. … This is where genuine creativity, health, and communication, as well as spiritual power, arise from.” – John Welwood
“We already have so much abundance. We truly do. We need not search too far. It is within. The reason we fail to recognize this is because we haven’t quite mastered the art of being.” – John Welwood
There are situations that require doing, and there are situations that require not-doing, but we can’t recognize the difference while we are reactive, while we are acting in fear.
Here is a set of questions that I love to ask myself:
- Can I be with this?
- Can I be with this without the compulsion to run or fight or change the situation?
- Can I just be with this and find that actually I’m OK, and that I’ll continue to be OK even if nothing changes?
- Now that I know that I’m OK, where do I surrender, and what do I take action on?
Acceptance is not passivity. It’s about acknowledging your present reality, feelings and all, without judgment. This acceptance is what gives us access to the abundance already available to us, authentic creativity, well-being, and true communication.
By embracing the present moment, even the unpleasant bits, we unlock a sense of inner peace. This newfound calmness allows us to discern when action is needed and when surrender is the wiser choice. We stop flailing against the current and learn to flow with it.
Mantras for more acceptance, and less resistance:
- I accept what is, and with acceptance comes peace.
- My strength lies in responding to reality, not fighting it.
- My inner abundance is always available when I am present.
- Today, I choose to release resistance and embrace the flow.
Let go of the struggle. Embrace the power of acceptance. You’ll be amazed at what you discover within yourself. Join us in today’s meditation for the opportunity to practice cultivating inner strength and unshakeable presence.
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: I am the mountain.