Acceptance

“The acceptance of certain realities doesn’t preclude idealism. It can lead to certain breakthroughs.” Rem Koolhaas

Happy Monday!

I just read that this is the hottest summer on record! Please remember to stay hydrated and let your body have a chance to cool down if you need to be very active. Also, take extra care to wind down in the evenings to get some rest. Self-care is vital during these extreme weather conditions.   

Acceptance is one of those things that we love/hate. We love it because sometimes it makes life easier to maneuver. When we accept certain concepts, realities, and constructs, we’re better able to make legitimate choices that enhance our standard of living. For example, when we accept that we need a certain amount of funds to manage a budget, we find work to accomplish that goal. It might be challenging, but we accept and accommodate.

Conversely, we sometimes hate acceptance because it feels limiting and finite. We don’t like being told we must accept certain truths about ourselves. Perhaps we’re not naturally gifted as artists but love to create. With time and intention, we may become better, even respectable, but we probably won’t end up with a piece of artwork in the Louvre.

Ponder this quote from Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas:

Let that sink in a minute. Acceptance doesn’t have to be limiting.

Enter opportunity.

There’s a fine line between accepting fundamental limitations and striving for our personal best. I think it’s easy to confuse the two and become apathetic about continuing to put effort into things about which we feel we’re not going to excel. It can be a bit of a tightrope walk.

However, when we realign our thinking, acceptance can begin a new way of thinking and looking at our lives. Accepting certain realities helps us with clarity, allowing us the luxury to dream within the realm of doable and to create new paths when traditional ones don’t promote growth. It helps us discern where limitations might be tested.

Again, consider the following perspective:

“Some people confuse acceptance with apathy, but there’s all the difference in the world. Apathy fails to distinguish between what can and what cannot be helped; acceptance makes that distinction. Apathy paralyzes the will-to-action; acceptance frees it by relieving it of impossible burdens.” Arthur Gordon

Ultimately, there can be breakthrough.

Job had an interesting perspective on acceptance when he was admonishing his wife:

“But he said to her,… Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”  Job 2:10 (NKJV)

Perhaps acceptance is positive and negative depending on the circumstances, leading me back to our love/hate relationship. I think it’s possible to embrace the potential for acceptance that leads to more profound thought as we unpeel layers of conditioning. Threads run through our cultures, ancestries, and value systems that appear to preclude change or idealism, drawing us into the illusion of difference as unacceptable. What if we open our minds to the possibility that acceptance can be beneficial and actually promote breakthrough?

This week, let’s take some time to consider the benefits of acceptance, beginning with self-acceptance. Then, look at people and situations surrounding us with an added dimension of discernment to see how we might be more accepting of them. I believe we’ll invite new realities and experiences that will render some amazing breakthroughs!

Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda