“Your Daily Dose” is a quick two minute read packed with bite-sized wisdom from all the great teachers. But you could also choose to turn it into something more… a powerful daily practice for personal growth. Give it a try!
A message from today’s meditation:
Do you sometimes find 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, sweat dripping, 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
Welwood suggests that we haven’t yet mastered the art of being. We haven’t learned how to meet life directly, in this moment, without the protective layer of constant activity – whether it’s compulsively taking action, or the incessant mental activity that just… won’t… slow… down…
This compulsive reactivity is created by our resistance to what is present. We are resistant to even stopping for a moment and taking a really good look at what exactly life is presenting right now.
Here is a set of questions that I like asking myself whenever reality feels uncomfortable:
- Can I be with this?
- Can I be with this without the compulsion to run or fight or avoid?
- Can I just be with this and find that actually I’m OK. And the truth is that I’ll continue to be OK even if nothing changes?
- And now that I know that I’m really OK, I can look at what comes next – where do I surrender, and what do I take action on?
Let’s clear up a common misconception: acceptance doesn’t mean resignation or becoming a doormat. Acceptance is about acknowledging your present reality – feelings, discomfort, and all – without judgment or the need to immediately fix, change, or escape it.
This acceptance is what opens our eyes and allows us to see the full spectrum of reality available to us. When we are not caught in the grip of flailing against the current then we become open to seeing the abundance of opportunity, the abundance of love and the abundance of life available to us all.
Imagine reclaiming all that energy you’ve been spending on resistance. What becomes possible when you redirect that force toward presence, creativity, and aligned action? The shift from fighting reality to accepting it is not about giving up – it’s about powering up.
Let go of the struggle. Embrace the liberating power of acceptance. You might be amazed at what you discover within yourself when you finally stop fighting and start being.
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.”
Embrace the power of acceptance, and 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.
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/IPrtR_VvQ5M 2025
https://youtu.be/hSJU7d8Dy4U 2024
https://youtu.be/ZCGhx6-XGHY 2022
Practice the “Daily Dose”
Let’s put it into practice! Choose what works for you – daily, once a week or whenever inspiration strikes. Putting pen to paper wires the neural pathways that will create your new habits.
1 – Affirmation
Write down your favourite affirmation on a sticky note and place it somewhere that you’ll be able to see it the whole day.
- “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.”
2 – A moment of reflection
Use today’s question as a journal prompt. If you don’t have the time to sit down and write, just take a moment to reflect on your response.
The Four Questions Practice: Choose a current uncomfortable reality in your life and work through the four questions: 1. Can I be with this? 2. Can I be with this without needing to run, fight, or avoid? 3. Can I just be with this and find that actually I’m OK. And the truth is that I’ll continue to be OK even if nothing changes? 4. And now that I know that I’m really OK, I can look at what comes next – where do I surrender, and what do I take action on?
3 – Quotes to share
Send a quote to someone who needs it, or share them all on social media to spread the good vibes!
4 – Q&A for deeper learning
Read through the questions and answers and write down at least one “aha moment” that clicked for you.
Q1: Isn’t acceptance just giving up? How is it different from being passive?
Acceptance and passivity are fundamentally different. Passivity is checking out or resigning yourself to circumstances. Acceptance is actively acknowledging reality without judgment, which actually empowers you to respond more effectively. When you accept what is, you stop wasting energy on denial or resistance and can instead channel that energy toward meaningful action. Acceptance is the foundation for wise action, not the absence of it.
Q2: How can I tell if I’m resisting reality or appropriately attending to a difficult situation?
The key indicator is your internal state. Resistance feels frantic, tight, and fear-driven—like desperately pushing that boulder uphill. Appropriate action from acceptance feels grounded, clear, and purposeful. Ask yourself: “Am I acting from fear and reactivity, or from clarity and presence?” If you can be with the current reality first (even if it’s uncomfortable), your subsequent actions will be more aligned and effective.
Q3: What if accepting my current reality feels like I’m validating something harmful or wrong?
Accepting reality doesn’t mean approving of it or agreeing it should be this way. It simply means acknowledging what is actually true right now. You can accept that something harmful exists while simultaneously working to change it. In fact, you must first see reality clearly before you can respond to it effectively. Denial and resistance cloud judgment; acceptance brings clarity.
Q4: The four questions seem simple, but how do I actually practice “being with” discomfort?
Start by bringing your attention to your physical sensations. Where do you feel the discomfort in your body? Can you breathe into that space without trying to change it? Often we’re not actually uncomfortable with the situation itself, but with our feelings about the situation. Practice observing these feelings with curiosity rather than judgment. Even 30 seconds of this can shift your relationship with discomfort.
Q5: What does it mean that “inner abundance is always available when I am present”?
When we’re caught in resistance, we’re mentally time-traveling—rehashing the past or anxiously projecting into the future. This cuts us off from the resources available right now: our creativity, clarity, resilience, and even simple moments of peace or joy. Presence brings us back to this moment, where we can access these inner resources. Every moment presents us with possibility and opportunity, and it’s just logical that we will have no ability to see these while we are trying to escape the moment.
Q6: How do I know when to surrender versus when to take action?
You can only answer this question from a place of non-resistance. First, practice being with your current reality until you feel a sense of okayness—even if the situation hasn’t changed. From this grounded place, the answer often becomes clear. Surrender relates to things genuinely outside your control (other people’s choices, outcomes, the past). Action relates to your own choices, responses, and what’s within your sphere of influence. The calm that comes from acceptance allows you to see this distinction.
Q7: I’ve tried acceptance before and it didn’t work. What am I missing?
Many people confuse intellectual understanding with embodied practice. You might mentally agree that acceptance is good while still emotionally resisting your reality. True acceptance is felt, not just thought. It also doesn’t happen once and stay forever—it’s a moment-by-moment practice. Additionally, acceptance doesn’t mean your discomfort disappears; it means you stop being uncomfortable about being uncomfortable. You’re building a new relationship with reality, and like any relationship, it develops over time with consistent practice.