Acceptance

"If I place importance on how you feel,
I encourage you to hang onto your feelings
after they've served their purpose. "
Lee Gibson

Acceptance is hard to practice, because there is a thought process of accumulated stories connected to our beliefs. There are many beliefs about being a woman and the many expectations to uphold cultural and socio-ethnic appearances. It is the expectation of the woman's role as a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a professional, etc.

Women today face complicated issues in the many roles they play. Each that becomes a new challenge. It is the perfection, triggered in the competition to be good enough, that stops us from accepting.

Acceptance is weighed by the success of this perfection. Perfection is an addiction to want it right or good. How is this so? Think of something you take the time to make look right. For example, your hair when it doesn't blow-dry the way you want it to. Though, it may look good, the addiction of perfection surfaces because it is not exactly the way you want it. It's not going to look good; therefore, it is a bad hair day.

Sounds ridiculous; however, it's a simple explanation you can identify with. How do you accept love in your life if you continually search to be perfect? A diamond is imperfect and perfect in its beauty. A diamond is exquisite. Every facet of a diamond is unique. You are unique. Let's simplify the terminology. Is being good enough for you to be loved, easily accepted into your consciousness?

Actually, this thought process is subsequently destroying the value of who you are. You begin to drown within your own truth. Women are always working so hard to be better. However, there is a percentage that has decided to settle and be comfortable. This is hard work because it is a battle to fulfill everyone's expectation of who you are. Why make waves? There isn't anything wrong with being comfortable. The question is, "is it good enough?" In the moment, it is.

Why are there a greater percentage of women looking for fulfillment? It is a desire to be good enough? And when will it be enough? Do you wait for the fireworks [serotonin] to burst, to give you the feeling of excitement, an internal gratification for a temporary fix? A temporary fix until you know, by accepting love, you accept you.

It isn't acceptance, until you take a look at how today thrives on instant gratification. If you say, "I love you", and you want the same response. The instant gratification of any answer won't satisfy your desire to be accepted. In the moment you'll feel good. However, when you come down from the high, you begin the cycle again. It is a continuous, yet unsatisfying search to seek acceptance.

In searching, have you found work, a hobby, an activity or group of friends you gravitate to for comfort? You are surrounded with beautiful things, such as, clothes, cars, a home, and you want to have more but you don't know what it is you are wanting. Here is a practice of insight: Our society today still struggles with prejudice. In fact, around the world, prejudice is a practice. Prejudice is an intricate part of being human because our knowledge gives us the ability to reason.

Stop and think for a moment. You have the ability to reason. Your thought process can justify what you are feeling. You easily practice a justification of stories making it right to act, like the act of prejudice. We each have our thought process. The truth is all of us are not exempt from the thought process; therefore, no one is perfect.

If you feel insulted by this comment, this is prejudice. If you look at the truth of how you just reacted, acceptance would be to feel totally content with a different perception. Although you may not agree with the above comment, it is only a comment. It is not meant to be right or justify looking good. This is a practice of acceptance.

There is no external gratification to compete with. There is no prejudice due to your reaction. It is our internal gratification to desire to be accepted, and not be rejected. The effect of this result creates the fear of being alone.

This is why I ask you to look deep within. Understand what your feelings are and the emotions you create, creating justifiable stories of why you cannot accept love.

The truth is, you will run from love and what you desire. By accepting love, this is the essence of who you are, you will embrace life more vividly and fully welcome what you deserve.

The focus no longer becomes about your worth, only about your desire to love and accept. The doubts of not good enough are internally replaced with love. The fear of not feeling fulfilled is fed through your acceptance, not denial of what you want. The emptiness and longing disappears. Like falling off the edge of a cliff with trust, love, and life, as it engulfs you with its natural surroundings. This is the feeling you want when you speak of acceptance to love within all of you.

It is not the feeling of flying, but in the connection of internal and external gratification. Not only from instant gratification to have it now. It is the reaction to act out living fully and to embrace love. Love is about you. Take a look in a mirror. What are the thoughts? What do you feel about you?