Saturday, April 11, 2009

Acceptance


Onetangi Beach, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

We believe that if only things were different than they are, that we would be fine. We think that the only reason that we are unhappy and unsatisfied is because we do not have something that we think is missing from our lives. If we only had more money, a relationship, better health, we would be fulfilled. If we achieve the thing that we desire, the relief from our state of dissatisfaction is only temporary. And we return to a state of restless desire.

We can only bring real change into our lives once we have accepted reality as it is. By wishing that things were different than they are, we play out a constant cycle of regret about the past and desire for something in the future. We are not really living.

There is nothing to fear from accepting what is. Good, bad or indifferent, the present is what it is. We should not close our eyes to it. Once we accept reality, we can take the necessary steps to change it, and begin to live our life as we would like to live it. Once we stop making decisions based on fear, our decisions will enhance our life, not continue our dysfunctional cycles.

Let's live in the present, just as it is.

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