As you journey toward personal freedom, learning to accept the inevitable and unchangeable in your life is a key that will accelerate your toward your goals. Why? Worrying and getting upset about things over which you have no control serves only to compromise your physical health and handicap your mental and emotional capacity to grow.
An attitude of acceptance toward things you can’t control, on the other hand, frees you to move toward greatness.
Do you have the ability to accept the things you cannot change? Do you have the ability to accept that you cannot change other people? Do you accept yourself for who you are, regardless of what others think? Can you accept the many changes that take place in your life?
If you answered yes to one or all of these questions, then you have already dramatically increased your chance of going after and achieving goals. When you can accept things in life–including (and especially!) other people– your emotions remain steady and your vision stays strong. As well, when you can accept the inevitable and unchangeable you discover your powerful innate ability to create success in the midst of adversity and challenges.
3 things you can’t control
- Other people’s thoughts and behaviors
- Your past
- Unforeseen crises
3 things that are always in your control
- Your thoughts and behaviors
- Your present and your future
- Your response to crises
Face it. Someone, somewhere at some time is going to look at you and decide they don’t like you because you’re wearing their least favorite color. Or you will converse with someone from a different religious background, or different political views.
If you accept the difference, and decide to love the other person no matter what, you will become a more creative and resourceful person. Why? Your mind will be free from judgmental or angry thoughts. Not only that, you will influence the other person for good, helping them to grow into a better person.
Once you learn to accept you will be eager to laugh. For example, it used to drive me crazy when my son, during his toddler years, constantly threw things. When I finally accepted that he was a boy, and he was going to throw, I began to make sure that he understood what was “legal” to throw, and then to join him in his play.
My Mommy Stress then dropped considerably, and I began to laugh more easily at his sheningans.
Once you start to see the humor in life, you will feel better inside. We live in a unruly world filled with greedy people, envious souls, lusty tigers, and so on. We have to learn how to work around these people, accept them and move on. Once you improve yourself, other people may follow. Good conduct has proven far more effective than words to encourage others to change.
As you grow you will feel a new hunger, and that hunger will guide you to discover new ways to better you. As you start to feel better about yourself, you will see a need to exercise, eat right, and hang out with positive influences.
And once you start down this path, you will feel inspired to labor to achieve your goals. Start today learning the difference between what you cannot change or control, and what you can. Then let go, accept, and accelerate.
