Lotus

Lotus

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Practicing Acceptance

As I grow into my role as a mom and as a partner, I find myself more and more needing to accept the limitations and realities of my life. As a woman with a disability, NOT accepting limits has driven me. It has been key in bringing me to where I am in my life. I have made a practice of pushing limits, questions boundaries and outright defying people and situations that believed I couldn't do something.

That practice is beginning to be harmful rather than helpful.

*Gulp*

What now?

My husband mentioned to be the other day, in his infinite wisdom, that perhaps this practice needs to be re-examined. He did so after I got frustrated with my son, for the billionth time, when he didn't do what I thought he should do and how I thought he should be doing it.

He's right you know.

In the Feb 2006 issue of Yoga Journal, there is an excellent article about practicing acceptance. Is it just about gritting your teeth and bearing with situations you don't like? Or is it about opening yourself to the moment and being authentically present to that moment whatever it might hold?

Well duh, you say, it's the latter, but have you really tried to be that person?
It's not as easy as it sounds. The author of this piece said it took her years to really grasp the truth of acceptance.
Years? I don't have that long!

Really though, I have years, even decades to perfect this practice of accepting my life. Why not start right now, today.

As the old proverb goes, a journey of a thousand miles (and trust me, this one is a dousy) starts with a single step.