Acceptance and Non-Judgement

Dr. Purushothaman
August 22, 2013

Have you ever tried to untie a really tight knot, perhaps in a shoelace? Annoyed, you attack it with all of your might, pushing and pulling at it, doing everything you can to get around it. It's so frustrating, you just want to be done with it already!

But it doesn't budge. In fact, it gets even tighter! Then, when you finally realize that approach isn't working, you take a deep breath and accept the fact that there is no rushing through this. You begin to carefully examine the knot. Little by little it loosens, and you're able to see clearly how to untangle it. Soon, it's completely untied.

Sometimes life is like that knot. Issues with our relationships, our self-image, money, career or just regular daily life can sometimes make us want to just get past it already! So we struggle and suffer; going in circles, trying feverishly to find the quickest way around the issue. We quickly find out that this is an exhausting and completely ineffective way of addressing the problem at hand. The key to stopping this madness is acceptance.

Realizing that there is power in acceptance is a major "aha!" moment for many people. Acceptance doesn't mean settling for what is. In fact it's just the opposite - acceptance of what is frees us to move past it and beyond - free to create a new situation, relationship or reality. Acceptance truly is the key that unlocks many doors. Simply put, when you know where you are, it's a lot easier to figure out where you want to go.

Knowing this frees up so much energy - energy that you can now use to move yourself forward. What would you do, where you go, or who would you be if you knew you didn't have to carry around all of your baggage anymore? What freedoms (emotionally or otherwise) could you enjoy with that weight lifted off of your shoulders?

Take a few moments to write a list of these things. Would you make small changes in your life or big ones? Are there relationships in your life that could benefit from acceptance? What about your career? Ask yourself if it's worth continuing to stay stuck or if you're ready for change. Chances are, you're ready to to move on, right? Acceptance is the key that will unlock that door for you. Are you ready to find acceptance in your life?

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